All Grown Up
by Foxy527
Summary: What happens when one of Mary's high school friends shows up on Steve's doorstep?  She's in trouble & Steve finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her.  This is my first fan fic & will be a work in progress.  Steve/OC. Rated M for later chapters
1. Prologue

**This is my first fan fiction story, so it will be a work in progress. I welcome any feedback and would love to know what you think. I'm not sure where I'm going to take this story or how long it will be...I guess that will depend on how much everyone likes it. :) If you have any ideas for improvements or how you would like to see things progress, share them with me. ****Also, I realize that some of the timelines in this story may not be true to the tv timeline (For instance, I think Steve and MaryAnn had both left Hawaii prior to high school), so just bear with me. :) **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Hawaii Five-0 characters, so copyright infringement is not intentional.**

**Thanks for reading! **

It had been a long day for the Five-0 team. Scratch that….It had been a long _week_ with today being the longest and toughest day of all. They had wrapped up an investigation into the kidnapping of a local politician's daughter and had successfully returned her home to her family. As Steve drove home, he said a silent "thanks" to God for protecting any of his team from being hurt in the process. Truthfully, Danny, Chin, and Kono were more than just his team; They were his family. In fact, with the exception of his sister Mary, they were his _only_ family. Without them around this past year since his father's murder, he probably would've gone crazy by now. He still carried the burden of what Victor Hesse had done to his father and he was determined to get vengeance. But while that mystery remained unsolved, his work with the Five-0 team was helping him keep his sanity and he was always grateful for every day that passed without one of them getting seriously hurt on a case. As he neared his driveway, he let out a sigh of relief that they'd put another case behind them. Now all he wanted to do was grab a beer or two and sit in his back yard to watch the tide roll in.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the car parked in his driveway until he was right behind it. "_Hmmm, Hawaii tags with a rental car sticker. Who could this be"?_ Then he saw a petite woman with long dark curls standing at his front door. Even from behind, he could tell she had a figure that begged to be noticed. She was knocking on the door almost cautiously and looking around to see if anyone was home. He couldn't help but wonder what she was doing here.

Steve pulled to a stop and stepped out of his truck. "Looking for someone?" he asked.

It was clear that she hadn't heard him pull up because he saw her jump at the sound of his voice behind her. She turned towards him halfway and Steve noticed that she looked vaguely familiar although he couldn't quite place her.

"Yes…..I was just….um…..looking for….MaryAnn McGarrett. Do you know where she is?" she answered quietly. Steve noticed that she seemed frightened because she kept her head lowered and wouldn't look him directly in the eyes.

"Mary's in California now. I'm her brother, Steve. Are you a friend of hers?" Steve took a step towards her and she quickly put on her sunglasses and descended the steps to start back towards her car.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I shouldn't have come by. I'm sorry to have bothered you."

Steve's curiosity was peaked. Who was this woman who looked so familiar to him and how did she know Mary? More importantly, what had her so spooked?

"Wait! Do I know you?" he asked curiously.

As she lifted her face to look at him, he was taken back for a moment. She may have thought her sunglasses were hiding it but he could clearly see a nasty looking purple bruise on her cheek and a cut above her left eye. He instinctively took another step towards her, but she backed away again.

Not wanting to completely scare her away, Steve asked, "How do you know Mary?"

She hesitated for a moment and then he saw a small smile briefly cross her mouth as she said, "You don't remember me do you?" She could almost literally hear the wheels spinning in his head as he tried to remember. "I'm Carly…..Mary and I went to school together. Remember?"

She saw the recollection on his face. Of course he remembered Carly. She and his sister had practically been connected at the hip when they were kids. Mary had told him once that Carly had a crush on him, but he'd been a "much older" high school senior at the time. Being the high school quarterback, he hadn't taken the crush of a freshman, especially one of his kid sister's friends, too seriously back then. But this woman standing in front of him was not the skinny, awkward girl he remembered.

Suddenly Carly saw a flash of anger flash in his eyes as he thought to himself, _"Someone has hurt her…..Someone has carelessly and recklessly hit that beautiful face"._ Instantly the fatigue from the previous week was gone and all he could think about was finding the coward who'd done this to her and beating him to a pulp.

Just as quickly as the anger crossed his face, it disappeared again and was replaced with a softness that was very uncharacteristic to anyone who knew Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett….former Navy SEAL extraordinaire. His eyes twinkled a little as he smiled at her, and for a moment she thought she would dissolve into a puddle on the spot. My God how she had missed that smile! She could see that he still had the quiet confidence she'd found so attractive in their school days. However, Steve McGarrett the boy couldn't hold a candle to the man standing here now. He was pure man: Strong, confident, and undeniably sexy. Carly felt her heart flutter as she realized he still took her breath away.

"Of course I remember you, Carly." Steve said softly. He took a step towards her. "Tell me what happened. Who hurt you?"

She hesitated for a moment. "Steve, I really shouldn't get you involved. I only came by because I thought Mary might still be here. I'm sorry to have bothered you." She started back towards her car, but Steve caught her arm to stop her.

"Don't go." He said gently. "Come inside. I want you to tell me who did this to you."

Again she hesitated. Steve saw her struggling to hold back the tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks. He put his hand under her chin and slowly lifted her face to look at him, "Carly, I'm not taking no for an answer. Come on….Let's go inside."


	2. Chapter 2

I'll apologize ahead of time if this next part is too conversational. I just figured it would be easier to relay the story of what was happening as the conversation unfolds between Steve and Carly. Hope it's not too much. As always, I appreciate feedback!  
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Steve opened the door and motioned for Carly to go inside. He followed her in and walked to the kitchen.

"Want something to drink?" Steve offered. "Looks like I've got beer and iced tea."

"A beer would be great." Carly answered. Steve grabbed two out of the refrigerator, screwed the caps off, and handed one to her. Taking a sip, Carly looked around the familiar house and noticed not much had changed in the last 10 years. Many of the same family photos were still around and she noticed herself in a couple of the pictures with MaryAnn. The only difference was that there was a more distinctive "masculine touch" to the house now that Steve lived there alone. He had a bicycle and some surfboards along the wall that led to the back patio and some of the furniture had been changed to reflect a style that was more to his liking.

Steve walked through the office to the French doors leading out to the patio and motioned for Carly to follow him outside. They both sat down in the comfortable patio chairs and looked out at the ocean for a few moments just enjoying the warm breeze and the sound of the waves rolling into shore.

Hoping to break the ice, Steve asked, "So what have you been up to since high school?"

Carly turned to look at him and Steve was struck by how pretty her hazel eyes were. _A guy could get lost in those eyes_, he thought to himself. "Don't know if you remember this or not, but my parents were divorcing during our senior year." Carly answered.

"I think I remember Mary Ann saying something about that." Steve replied.

"Well, things got pretty ugly with them so Mom & I moved to North Carolina to be closer to her family right after graduation. I got my bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina. Then, I was offered a job in Atlanta counseling children and teenagers, so I relocated there and eventually got my Master's degree. I've been in Atlanta ever since. Not as exciting as being a Navy SEAL, I know….but I guess I've done okay." She smiled.

Steve returned her smile and said, "Working with troubled kids, huh? That suits you."

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know. You just always seemed like a good listener and you had a lot of empathy for people. You'd be perfect working with kids in one way or another."

She smiled at him again. "Thanks, Steve. I really do enjoy my work. I've always wanted to make a difference and I feel like I do that now."

"So what brings you back to Hawaii?" Steve asked.

Carly sighed and was quiet for a couple of minutes before she spoke. "I don't suppose you'd believe I came in a week or so early for our 10th high school reunion?"

"I guess it's somewhat believable since Mary is coming back into town for it too. It would be more believable if you didn't have a bruised face, though." He said gently.

Steve could tell she was trying to figure out how much to say, so he waited. Carly took a deep breath and looked out at the ocean again. When she spoke again, her voice came out in barely a whisper.

"I just had to leave Atlanta for awhile." was all she said.

"You_ had_ to leave? Why?" He pressed further.

Figuring he wasn't going to give up until he had the whole story, she took a deep breath and said "I've been dating a guy…..Brad…..for almost 2 years now. Things were really good with him for awhile, but they've started to change in the last 6 months or so."

"How have they changed?" he asked.

"He started getting abusive." She said quietly. She saw Steve tense but he kept quiet as he waited for her to continue. "At first, it was mostly verbal….but eventually he started getting more physical and it's just spiraled out of control, I guess. It's over now, though. After what happened the other night, I told him it was over and got out of town for awhile."

Steve could feel his blood starting to boil as he tried to keep his temper in check. "So you stayed with him even though things were getting worse? Why?"

Carly turned to him with a look of regret and torment in her eyes, "A couple of reasons, I guess. Part of it was denial. I was embarrassed because I am a professional family therapist and I'd found myself in the same kind of relationship that I'm trying to help some of my kids get through. I never really wanted to admit….or believe….that things were getting out of control with Brad." She paused for a moment before continuing, "I know the statistics of battered women's syndrome, Steve. I mean, realistically I know things don't get any better and they only escalate. It's just been hard for me to admit the reality of it, I guess."

"Have you gone to the police about it or filed any charges against him?"

Carly let out a sarcastic laugh and shook her head, "He _is_ 'the police'."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he's on the Atlanta police force. He's a homicide investigator and is very well respected in the community…so no, I haven't gone to the police. He made it pretty clear to me that no one would believe me anyway."

Steve was caught between being furious with the man who'd done this to her and wanting to pull her into his arms and let her know it was going to be okay. He knew Carly was a strong woman; Even though she'd been quiet and somewhat shy when they were younger, she'd also had a strength and confidence about her that showed a maturity beyond her age even back then. Steve rarely let his "softer side" show and prided himself on always being in control; How many times had Danny complained about him having 'control issues'. However, the vulnerability she was showing right now was calling his protective instincts to the surface in a way he hadn't felt for a long time. He wanted to make things better for her and insure that no one would ever hurt her again.

"So what happened this time?" he pressed.

"Brad knew I'd been planning to come to this reunion. He was going to come with me, but recently got caught up in a big case, so he can't leave town right now. He told me to cancel the trip since he couldn't come along, but I told him I was coming anyway. We had a huge fight about it that ended with me telling him we were finished. I wasn't going to deal with his jealousy or control of me any longer. Then, things got heated and ended with him knocking me to the ground and storming out of my apartment. As soon as he left, I packed my bags as quickly as I could and got out of town last night."

"Where are you staying?" Steve asked.

"We have reservations at a hotel in town but we weren't supposed to be here until next Thursday. I came straight here from the airport to see Mary Ann so I haven't been to the hotel to see if they have something available earlier. I'd forgotten she was in California now."

"Forget it. You can stay here with me." Steve said matter-of-factly.

"No, Steve. I couldn't do that. Really…I'll be fine. I just need some time to re-group and I'll be okay."

"No. You'll stay _here_ and _re-group_ here." He insisted. The tone of his voice said he was leaving no room for argument. "Look, as soon as Brad figures out you've left town, he could be on his way here. You need to be some where safe where he can't find you. Besides, I'm sure Mary Ann will want you to stay here when she gets into town anyway."

Sensing her hesitancy, he offered her his biggest smile and said, "I promise I won't bite. And you'll be safe here."

She knew he was right. If everything she remembered about him and everything Mary Ann had told her since high school were still true, there was nowhere else she'd be safer than with Steve McGarrett. Even in high school he'd been the "macho" guys-guy who was a lethal combination of confidence, athleticism, and good looks that had nearly every girl swooning over him. However, he seemed almost oblivious to the effect he had on the opposite sex back then. And it wasn't just his good looks that made him magnetic: As the school's quarterback and captain of the football team, he was a natural leader. Carly wasn't the least bit surprised at the path life had taken him down after graduation.

After joining the Navy, Carly heard later that he had eventually become a Navy SEAL but had returned home after their father had been murdered last year. Mary Ann would sometimes complain about Steve being overprotective, over bearing, and stubborn, but Carly could tell she really loved and admired her big brother. As an adult, he had the reputation of being a serious, no-nonsense, bad ass kind of guy who was fiercely protective of those he cared about. For this reason, she had no doubt he would take care of her if Brad did show up in Hawaii. That was never a concern….but "safety" was relative. While he may protect her from any more confrontations with Brad in the near future, he couldn't protect her from the feelings that seemed to be stirring under the surface again. This wasn't the same as the high school crush she'd had years earlier. Carly had been around long enough to know there was a definite chemistry brewing between them that hadn't existed 10 years ago. She had felt it as soon as she heard his voice behind her and turned to look at him from the front steps of the house. She also knew that Steve was feeling it too. Every time their eyes had met over the last hour, it was like a bolt of electricity had shot between them. Yes, things could inevitably get tricky if she was staying under the same roof with him for several days.

Meeting his eyes once again, she smiled and said, "Okay. If you insist….I will stay. But only if you promise it wont' be an inconvenience. I mean, I don't want to impose or anything."

" I'd enjoy the company. Besides, Mary Ann would never let me hear the end of it if she found out you were staying at a hotel after all of this….and _I'll _feel better if you are here where I know you'll be safe."

With that settled, they decided it was time for dinner. Carly wanted to freshen up after having such a long flight, so Steve brought her bags into the house and started steaks on the grill while she ran upstairs to take a shower.


	3. Chapter 3

Carly stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her before walking over to the mirror. She looked in disgust at the results of her last encounter with Brad. The bruise on the left side led to a small cut above her eye. Thankfully, it hadn't needed stitches, but it still looked bad just the same. She went to work trying to conceal the damage as well as she could with make-up, but didn't have much luck. She finally gave up and decided to just let it go. After all, it wasn't like she had anyone to impress right now. The little voice inside her head didn't quite agree though…_Get real, girl. You know your heart still flutters every time he looks at you! _Pushing those thoughts aside, she quickly got dressed in her most comfortable denim shorts and tank top and headed downstairs to help Steve with dinner. She tried to rationalize with her inner voice as she walked downstairs: He hadn't taken her crush seriously years ago so why would things be any different now? He would probably always see her as nothing more than his kid sister's friend. However, every time she tried to convince herself of that fact, she couldn't help but wonder "what if?".

She walked down the steps and headed towards the patio doors once again. Noticing him at the grill, she stopped to admire the view. He had changed from his normal "work attire" of cargo pants, t-shirt and boots to a more comfortable pair of shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt that showed off his muscular arms and back. He wasn't facing her, so she allowed herself the pleasure of just watching him for a moment without being noticed. _How is it possible that he keeps getting better looking all the time?_ she thought. The man was perfection, in her opinion, and the epitome of masculinity; Tall, dark and gorgeous with the perfect combination of confidence and strength. Some people may have the impression that Steve was egotistical and a little too full of himself, but Carly had always believed it was due to **confidence**….not **ego**. She knew there was a softer side to Steve McGarrett that didn't necessarily fit his Lieutenant Commander persona which made him endearing, sexy and dangerous all at the same time.

All of a sudden, Steve turned and found her watching him. He smiled that devastating smile and motioned for her to join him outside. She felt a blush creep up her cheeks at being caught practically drooling over him. _Good grief. What am I…in high school again?_ Trying to conceal her embarrassment, she offered him a smile of her own and walked out to join him.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Yes, much better! It's amazing how much better a shower can make you feel after a long day of traveling." she answered. "Can I help with anything?"

"Nope. I've got it covered. Steaks & baked potatoes are almost done and I have a salad in the fridge."

Carly was impressed. "Wow….I'm impressed. I never figured 'Super Ninja' for the domestic type." She said.

He let out a genuine Steve McGarrett laugh that made her heart melt a little as she remembered how much she'd always loved it. He would throw his head back and close his eyes whenever a laugh escaped him. It was a laugh she'd always found endearing. "Super Ninja?" he asked.

"Well, that's what Mary calls you. Super Ninja….Super SEAL….Superman….You get the point."

Still smiling, Steve replied, "Actually, this is about the extent of my cooking expertise, so don't be too impressed. Well, this and pancakes. I can make some really mean pancakes."

The steaks were almost finished, so Steve went into the kitchen to grab the salad and returned with a bottle of wine as well. Carly lifted her eyes in surprise. Sensing her curiosity, Steve shrugged and said, "I figured we'd forget the beer for dinner. This is a special occasion and wine is better with dinner. Don't you think?"

"Wine will be great." She answered. "But what's the 'special occasion'?"

"I'm having dinner with a beautiful woman that I haven't seen for a long time." When he smiled at her again, she felt the warmth spread all the way to her toes. Being around Steve again was bringing up feelings she hadn't felt for anyone in a very long time. If she was honest with herself, she had to admit that she hadn't even felt this way towards Brad. What was it about Steve that still drew her like a moth to a flame after all these years?

Steve wasn't fairing much better than Carly. She took his breath away. He had sensed her watching him earlier and when he'd turned to look at her, his breath had caught at the sight of her fresh from the shower. Her towel dried curls hung in wet ringlets around her face and the tank top and cutoff shorts she'd casually thrown on unknowingly showed off her curves and practically made his mouth water. He was certain she had no idea how enticing she looked. As she walked out onto the patio to join him, her skin looked so soft it was begging him to touch it, but he tried to push those thoughts from his mind. After all, she was just getting out of a relationship that had been anything but loving, so he doubted she needed romantic advances right now. _Not a good idea,_ _McGarrett,_ he told himself. He would just be a friend to her and nothing more. He decided to keep telling himself that until his mind and body were in agreement. It would be the only way to keep boundaries up and insure that he didn't cross any lines with her. It was undeniable that he was reacting to her on a physical and emotional level, though, so this was not going to be an easy battle to fight.

Steve and Carly enjoyed a casual dinner together as the sun was setting. They shared stories and laughed about the "good old days" while they enjoyed catching up again. Before long, they'd finished off two bottles of wine.

Shaking her head a little, Carly said, "I really should call it a night, Steve. This has been great, though…..I feel so relaxed."

"Then I've done my job." He smiled. "I'm glad I could make you feel better."

_You have NO idea._ Carly thought to herself.

Making their way back into the house, she headed towards the guest bedroom. As she walked up the steps, she looked down at Steve once more. "Thanks again, Steve….for everything." She said.

"My pleasure. Sweet dreams. If you need anything, I'll be right down the hall" He said. She felt her heart do a little flip inside her chest as she walked up to the bedroom and closed the door for the night. _I need something alright, and his name is Steve McGarrett, _she smiled to herself as she settled down into the covers. The emotional and physical exhaustion from the last couple of days quickly took over and she fell fast asleep.

Sleep didn't come quite so easily for Steve that night. In the few short hours he had spent with Carly since her unexpected arrival, she had stirred feelings in him that he wasn't quite prepared to handle. Images of her beautiful hazel eyes, sweet dimpled smile, and kissable mouth kept popping into his head. He imagined running his fingers through her hair…..touching her soft skin…and caressing her beautiful body. He loved the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled and the musical sound of her laughter. He also saw a quiet confidence in her that was mesmerizing to him. There was so much about her that had intrigued him that evening; In Carly, he had discovered a mystery he would love to explore more if given the chance. Even though he felt frustration at not being able to control the thoughts keeping him awake, he was powerless to make them stop. Sleep finally took over in the wee hours of the morning.

After a few hours of restless sleep, he woke and decided to go out for his morning swim before coming back to make them breakfast. Carly was still sleeping when he returned so he started the coffee and was whipping together some pancake batter when she walked into the kitchen. Carly looked at him admiringly standing in the kitchen with only a pair of shorts on. Her eyes followed his strong shoulders, perfect abs, lean waist and kept traveling south until they came back up to meet Steve's smile. "Morning, Sunshine." he greeted her.

She looked at him doubtfully, "No sunshine before coffee." she responded. He thought she looked adorable, and incredibly sexy, with her rumpled hair and sleepy eyes. He poured her a cup of coffee which she took gratefully and immediately took a sip.

"Now that you're up, I'll give you the choice…..Would you rather have blueberry or chocolate chip?"

"Definitely chocolate chip!" she replied. "But you don't have to make me breakfast! I can just eat cereal or something."

Steve insisted and continued with the pancakes until they had a couple of stacks to choose from. Carly took a big bite and closed her eyes in happiness. After a couple more bites, she said, "Best I've ever had….without a doubt. You could make me pancakes every day." A blush crept up her cheeks as she realized what she'd just said and Steve thought it was the cutest thing he'd ever seen.

"I mean….Well….You know what I mean. I could _eat_ these every day….Not that _you_ have to make them for me every day...".

Steve chuckled and interrupted her rambling, "I'd make them for you every day." They sat in silence smiling at each other for a moment before Carly's cell phone rang and interrupted the moment. Looking down at the caller ID, she saw it was MaryAnn.

"It's your sister." She said as she picked up the call. Steve listened as Carly explained to Mary Ann what had happened and how she had ended up in Hawaii a week earlier than expected for the reunion. After they had talked for awhile, Carly said, "I promise, I'm fine, Mar. I needed a vacation anyway, so it's good to get away a few days early. Don't worry! Really, I'm fine." After a few more seconds, Carly handed the phone to Steve. "Mary wants to talk to you for a minute."

Steve took the phone from her and said, "Hey Mar…"

Mary immediately started in, "You've got to take care of her, Steve, and don't let that lunatic get near her. I'm telling you, he's crazy."

"I'll take care of her….Don't worry." He winked at Carly as she finished her pancakes.

"I'm serious, Steve. I've been telling her for months to get away from him. Carly trusts people almost to a fault. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt and kept thinking things would get better….and I knew they wouldn't. Now that she's finally gotten away from him, I wouldn't put it past him to come after her."

Steve tried to calm her down "She's going to stay here instead of going to the hotel, so he won't know how to find her. Everything will be fine."

Mary must've found some comfort in that fact because Steve heard her let out a deep breath. Then, she explained that she couldn't come home any earlier than planned because of her work schedule, but she trusted that Carly was in good hands with her brother. Little did she know the sexual tension that was already brewing between them; otherwise, she probably would have given Steve a lecture on how to treat her best friend. Steve laughed to himself as he thought of that scenario and what a switch it would be since he was usually the one lecturing Mary Ann on her various indiscretions.

After they said their goodbyes to Mary Ann, Steve asked Carly what she wanted to do for the day. He figured Carly could use some rest and relaxation after having an exhausting trip the day before, so they decided to hang around the house a little longer and go for a swim. Carly went back upstairs to change into her swimsuit while Steve put some snacks & beer into a cooler to carry down to the water.

It was a perfect morning to spend at the beach and Carly could hardly wait to sit in the sun and soak up some rays. She removed her cover-up and didn't notice Steve staring at her for a moment. He had thought she looked lethal when she had shorts and a tank top on, but she looked downright dangerous in her red string bikini. The halter top had a gold circular clasp right in the middle of her cleavage that automatically drew his eyes to stare at the treasure there. She had certainly filled out in the last ten years and he couldn't help but stare in wonder. His eyes trailed downward over her toned stomach until they reached the bikini bottoms with the same gold clasps on either side of her hips. Dear God, was this woman _trying_ to give him a heart attack, he thought….Or did she honestly not realize the effect she could have on a man with that body of hers? More importantly, how was he going to keep his cool or his resolve not to touch her when she looked like that? There was only so much control 'Super SEAL' could be expected to maintain at moments like this. Feeling his stare, she looked up, felt a blush on her cheeks and smiled at him. She had to admit it was nice to have Steve's admiring glance after all these years.

Carly suddenly felt bold under his appreciative stare, so she asked him teasingly, "Everything okay?"

Steve smiled at her. "Just admiring the view."

"Yeah, I could say the same about you too, Sailor."

Steve decided it might be best to get into the water and cool off before he lost all control, so he asked her to join him. Soon, they were both neck deep in the cool water and enjoying the feel of the ocean on their skin. They swam for a few minutes as Steve enjoyed the sound of her laughter again. Suddenly feeling exhilarated and a little bit mischievous, he dove underwater. As Carly looked around to see where he might have gone, he surprised her by popping up in front of her looking wet and sleek and sexier than anything she had ever seen in her life. Her breath caught as she looked from his smiling eyes down to his perfect smile and eventually to his muscular shoulders and chest. Damn if he wasn't delicious to look at. They suddenly grew quiet as the undeniable heat started rising between them. After a moment, Steve's expression grew softer and his eyes came to rest on her lips as if begging her for a taste of the sweetness there. The magnetic tension between them grew until neither of them could control it any longer and Carly felt herself take a step closer to him. Steve brought his hands up to her face and looked at her for just a moment before bringing his lips slowly down on hers. His kiss was gentle, almost tentative at first, but Carly returned it without hesitation. After a moment, he broke away and looked at her for some reassurance that he wasn't overstepping any boundaries. When he saw the unmistakable hunger in her eyes, he smiled and kissed her more fervently this time. Soon she felt him coaxing her mouth open, so she opened to him and felt his tongue slide inside. He tasted more delicious than she had ever imagined. His kiss was gentle and insistent at the same time as she let him explore her mouth and taste her until she could barely breathe. Carly's hands came up around his neck as Steve's moved to her waist to pull her closer and remove all space between them. As a soft moan escaped her mouth, Steve felt her shiver as they deepened the kiss and continued to explore each other with their mouths.

They stayed that way for a few blissful moments feeling the warmth of the sun on their skin and the taste of each other on their lips. Finally, they broke away and looked at each other recognizing the undeniable desire between them. Steve was torn between fighting the want they both had for each other in this moment and not wanting to move too fast. After all, they had only reconnected with each other a day ago and she was still fresh from a break-up with that no-good loser of a boyfriend in Atlanta. More than anything, he wanted to protect her heart from being hurt any more. The realization struck him that Carly wasn't a "friends with benefits" kind of girl. No, if something was to happen with her, he owed it to her to make it special.

Keeping his arms around her waist, his voice was husky as he said, "You're driving me crazy."

"Mmmm, the feeling is mutual." Carly whispered as she lightly kissed his neck again.

"Carly, wait….I don't want to push you too fast. Maybe we should slow down."

Carly leaned back and looked at him questioningly. There was hint of frustration and rejection in her voice as she said, "What do you mean?"

"Don't get me wrong. I mean, I think it's obvious that something is happening here….I mean, you really are driving me crazy." Carly smiled as she acknowledged the chemistry between them "I just think we should be careful." Steve continued. "If and when something happens between us, it's not going to be a one-night stand."

Carly sighed and took a step back. "You're right. ", she said reluctantly. Then deciding to lighten the moment, she added, "I guess I just got lost in the moment. If you weren't so damn sexy maybe I could've resisted a little more." Once the words came out, she couldn't believe she'd said them. She had no idea where this uncharacteristic bravado was coming from, but she felt a sense of freedom around him that she'd never experienced before.

Steve laughed at her and said, "Sweetheart, you have _no_ idea."

A little reluctantly, they exited the water together and walked back to the beach chairs along the waters edge. Steve reached into the cooler to grab them each a beer, and then took a long drink as he watched her towel off. As she took the bottle he offered her, he wondered how much longer he'd be able to control the hunger growing inside of him. He hadn't been looking for what was happening between them, but he couldn't deny what was going on. Something told him it was only a matter of time before things changed.

(I posted this chapter earlier today with an "alternate ending". I felt a little unsure about how quickly I had progressed things between Steve & Carly and I wasn't totally comfortable in moving so fast. After all, Steve is Mr. In-Control and Carly is just getting out of a relationship that was unhealthy, to say the least. However, since I haven't written any fan-fiction before, I was unsure of how long I wanted this story to be so I was trying to move things along…against my better judgment. A couple of the reviewers today have agreed with me that things may've been moving too fast, so I re-wrote the end of the chapter to reflect that. Hope you still enjoy it. After all, what is a good love story without some sexual tension to build things up? J Let's see what happens with Steve and Carly next!-Is it possible Brad may show up to cause trouble?)


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the weekend passed too quickly for Steve's liking. As rare as it was to have a day off, it was even more unusual to get an entire weekend without a call from the Governor. Not wanting to tempt fate, he decided to enjoy every second and said some silent prayers that his phone wouldn't ring to end the reprieve. He and Carly spent the rest of the weekend touring familiar spots on the island and visiting some new ones that had become favorites of his since he'd returned last year. Steve sensed Carly starting to relax even though he still caught glimpses of tension cross her face which made him wonder what she was thinking. After what she'd been through, he didn't push her and just chose to believe she'd open up to him if and when she felt safe enough to do so.

Spending time back "home" was exactly what Carly needed. The physical distance from Brad and change of scenery had already done wonders for her mood in just a couple of days. She could almost literally feel herself breathing easier. And of course being around Steve had played a big part in her brighter outlook as well. Since their brief "make out session" on the beach Saturday morning, he had been a perfect gentleman; almost too much for her liking even though she knew he was right about taking things slow. She still had emotions to work through where Brad was concerned before she would be ready for anything else.

Brad….How could she have been so blind? How was it possible that she had allowed herself to stay in a relationship that was clearly toxic? She was smarter than that….She was stronger than that…..and she deserved better than that. Every time she thought about it, she would feel herself getting frustrated at her own stupidity. The other thing bothering her was the fact that Brad hadn't attempted to call her since she'd left Atlanta. She should be relieved, but Carly knew by now he was aware she'd left town, so it was uncharacteristic of him to "go silent" on her like this. It was unsettling and made her wary of what he may be up to. She prayed she was wrong, but something told her to stay on guard. For the moment, she resolved that she wouldn't allow him to have that control on her anymore and instead tried to focus on using the extra time in Hawaii to put as much distance between them as necessary.

_Monday morning…_

When Monday morning rolled around, Steve woke up a little later than normal. He quickly showered before stopping in the kitchen on his way out to get the coffee maker ready and leave Carly a note. When she woke a short time later and made her way downstairs, she was disappointed to see he'd already gone but was touched at his thoughtfulness as she read the note:

_Morning, Sunshine. Coffee is ready to go….Just press 'Start'. Don't know what today may be like at work, but I'll call you later so we can make plans for dinner…..Unless you already have plans. Make yourself at home! I'll look forward to seeing you later….Steve_

Carly smiled to herself as she started the coffee and then went back upstairs to get her shower and figure out what to do with her day.

Steve walked into headquarters and was surprised to find his entire team already there. He was a little late, but hadn't thought he was _that_ late. He was sure Danny wouldn't miss the opportunity to grill him about this. As if on cue, Danny came out of his office "Well, good morning, Steven. Nice of you to join us on this lovely Monday morning." He was all smiles as he looked at Steve with curiosity written all over his face.

"Shut it, Danny. You'll ruin my mood." Steve couldn't help but smirk.

"Yes, well….speaking of moods, what exactly is going on with yours this morning?"

As if he didn't know what Danny was talking about, Steve asked "What do you mean?"

"Oh come on….Monday morning aneurysm face has been replaced by a smirk. Did you think that would go unnoticed?"

Steve tried to hide it, but couldn't hold back the grin that started to cross his mouth as Danny said, "Wait for it…..Waaaaaiit for it….**There it is**….It's not a smirk, but a SMILE! Will wonders never cease?"

"Seriously, Danny. Cut it out. What's wrong with me smiling?"

"Nothing is _wrong_ with it, Steven…..We're just not all that familiar with that particular look on you, is all. So what gives? Was the latest edition of Guns and Ammo particularly interesting this month?"

"Very funny." Steve replied, "_Nothing gives._ It was just great to have an entire weekend off."

"Not buying it. There's more to it than that."

"What? Is your Spidey sense kicking in or something?" Steve quipped.

Danny ignored the sarcasm and continued with his interrogation, "I'm a trained detective _and_ you're my partner so I know when something is up."

Figuring Danny wasn't going to give up until he had an answer, Steve finally gave in.

"Okay fine, if you _must_ know, a friend of Mary's came in to town unexpectedly this weekend."

" A friend of _Mary's_? But Mary isn't even here, is she? And even if she _was_ here, what would that have to do with _you_? "

"No, Danny, Mary is not here….But Carly forgot that. She needed to get out of town pretty quickly so she came in a few days early for their high school reunion and forgot that Mary wouldn't be here until later this week."

"I see…..So rather than spending time with Mary, she spent time with you? And now you're at work with a smile on your face. Interesting."

"Look, it's not what you think. Since you're clearly not going to let this go, I'll give you the Reader's Digest version: Carly is a friend of Mary's from high school who lives in Atlanta now. She had to get out of town to get away from a bad relationship, so she flew in Friday night and forgot that Mary wasn't here yet. When she showed up at the house, I offered to let her stay with me. If her ex is stupid enough to come out after her, it will be harder for him to find her there."

Danny immediately sobered as he heard the details, "Is she okay?"

The concern on Steve's face was obvious as he replied, "I'm not sure. She was beat up and emotionally exhausted when she got here, but she seems to be doing some better. I think she's still worried about him showing up unexpectedly."

"You think he'd really pull something like that?"

"I'm not sure. But I'll be ready for him if he does." was all Steve could say before Chin interrupted to tell them there was a call coming in from the Governor.

The rest of the morning passed pretty quickly as they picked up a new case and the two teams separated to interview witnesses and go over evidence. As Steve and Danny finished up a quick lunch, Steve's cell phone rang. It was Mary.

"Hey Mary. What's up?"

"Have you talked to Carly this morning?"

"No….I was getting ready to try her, though. Why?"

"Last night she told me she was going to hook up with Lisa for lunch today. But Lisa called me awhile ago and said she never showed. She's tried to call Carly's cell phone and our house but hasn't got an answer. I just tried to call her, too, and she's not answering." Steve could hear the panic in Mary's voice. "Steve….what if Brad found her? What if he's at the house?"

Before Steve could answer, he turned the car around and started in the direction of the house. "Don't worry, Mary….I'm on my way there now. I'll call you."

Steve tried Carly's number without success and mumbled a silent curse when she didn't answer. Danny asked the obvious question. "Something wrong?"

"I'm not sure. Carly missed a lunch appointment with another friend of theirs and no one has been able to reach her for the last hour or so. We've gotta go by the house and see what's going on."

Within minutes, they pulled in to the driveway and a sinking feeling settled into Steve's chest as he saw an unfamiliar car parked there.

"Know that car?" asked Danny.

"Nope….but it's a rental." Steve replied an adrenaline rush propelled him out of the car.

Steve and Danny drew their guns and started towards the house. Steve motioned for Danny to go around back as he went to the front door. As he got closer, he could hear a man inside who was clearly drunk. He was rambling almost incoherently but it was obvious it was Brad and he wasn't happy with Carly's sudden leave of absence. Steve willed himself to stay calm and hoped that Brad hadn't hurt her again. God help him if he had because Steve was already ready to tear into him and give him a dose of his own medicine.

He decided to use an element of surprise and quickly entered his house, gun still drawn. As Steve rushed into the living room, Brad turned around and nearly fell over before he noticed the gun barrel pointed at his face, "What the…WHO are YOU?" he yelled. Carly stood defiantly a few feet from Brad with a mixture of terror and fury written all over her face. A look of relief passed over her face as she saw Steve come in and he quickly focused his attention to the drunk intruder who was standing a few feet from her.

"I think the more important question is who are _you_ and what are you doing in _my_ house?" Steve's voice was menacing as he glared at Brad.

"YOUR house?" Brad slurred.

"Yes, my house…I don't remember inviting you and I'm fairly certain Carly didn't either."

"Don't think I have to be invited when my lady is here."

"See, that's where you're wrong, because I have it on good authority that she isn't 'your lady' anymore." Steve answered never taking his eyes off the man. If push came to shove, he could take this guy down without any trouble. In fact, he was almost hoping Brad _would_ pick a fight with him at this point.

"Oh she's mine alright." Brad continued to slur. "We were just coming to an agreement on that very subject, weren't we honey?"

Keeping his eyes on Brad, Steve spoke to Carly, "Carly, come over here and get behind me."

At first she didn't move for fear of what Brad might do. "Don't you talk to my girl, pretty boy." Brad spat.

Staying more calm than Steve thought possible, he continued again, "Carly, sweetheart…Come over and get behind me. NOW." Then speaking to Brad, he said, "I'd love nothing more than to kick your ass all the way back to Atlanta right now, so if you even _**flinch**_ I will take you down. Understand?"

As Carly moved to join Steve, Brad let out a roar of anger and lunged at Steve. In one smooth move, Steve grabbed his forearm, turned him around, and slammed him face first onto the floor landing with his knee squarely in the middle of the man's back. Brad let out a cry of pain, "Dammit….You broke my nose!" Steve continued to hold his arm in a painful position on his back as he leaned down and said, "I said, don't flinch….You flinched. Wanna try it again? I'll be happy to break your arm, too." As if to emphasis his point, he pulled up just enough on Brad's arm to make it feel as if it was on the verge of breaking at any moment. Brad let out another cry of pain as Steve pulled out his cuffs, cuffed the drunken man and looked up at Danny who'd been standing quietly, for once, at the side. As they heard the HPD pulling up, he said, "Get him out of my face before I do something I won't regret, Danny." Danny made quick work of getting Brad off the floor and walking him out to the squad car waiting outside.

In the meantime, Steve turned to look at Carly who was still standing still as a statue in the middle of the living room. She looked as if she was in shock; no emotion showing on her face at all. As the reality of what had just happened hit her, tears began to fill her eyes and spill down her cheeks. Still she made no sound and made no effort to move as silent sobs started to shake her body. Steve's heart ached as he put his arms around her trembling body, "Shhhh…..It's okay, sweetheart. It's all over. It's okay….I'm here." He kissed her forehead, held her close, and let her get it out.

(Want to know how Brad was able to find Carly? I'll answer that in the next chapter!)


	5. Chapter 5

**I've taken a couple of 'liberties' here, so please overlook if details aren't exactly correct. For instance, since Gov. Jameson is now dead and we know the new governor in Season 2 will be a man, I've made some small references to him (even though we haven't met him yet!). You may notice some other discrepancies as well, but since I'm not a detective or an attorney, I'm sort of making things up as I go and trying to make them as believable as possible. Hope you enjoy! **

Steve led Carly over to the couch so they could both sit down. As Carly glanced around at the mess that had been created in Steve's living room, she suddenly felt embarrassed about the damage that had been done. It looked as if a tornado had come through and wreaked havoc everywhere.

"Oh gosh, Steve…..I'm so sorry…..Look at this mess." She stood up and quickly started picking things up before she felt Steve gently take her arm and pull her back down.

"Don't worry about it. We'll get it later. Trust me, this place has seen worse."

They hadn't heard Danny come back into the house until they heard him say, "Yes, it's been _much_ worse. I keep telling him he needs to invest in a home improvement store so he could at least get a discount on repairs and supplies when he has to put everything back together." He smiled warmly at Carly and she smiled back.

"Hi. I'm Steve's partner, Danny….The better looking and more rational one." As Carly shook his hand, Steve just rolled his eyes.

"I'm Carly. It's nice to meet you, although I'm sorry about the circumstances." Looking at Steve again she said, "I'm really sorry about this, Steve. I still can't believe he found me so fast. I've only been gone for three days!"

"Tell me what happened?" Steve asked.

Carly sighed, "Well, as I'm sure you noticed, he was drunk when he showed up. I was getting ready to leave and meet Lisa for lunch when I heard someone banging on the door. I got to the living room and realized it was Brad when I heard him yelling for me to open the door. Before I could grab my phone, he had kicked the door in and came barreling in. I've never seen him that mad, Steve. I mean, we've had our moments but I have never seen him so wound up. He had this crazy look in his eyes that I've never seen before." She stopped for a minute as if reliving those moments all over again. Steve's eyes grew dark and she saw a muscle twitch on the side of his jaw, but he stayed silent.

Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Anyway, I asked him what he was doing here and he told me he was here for the reunion like we had planned. I told him _again_ that it was over between us, that I didn't want him here, and that he needed to leave. That's when he got really crazy and started picking things up and throwing them around. He started saying crazy things like 'You can't hide from me'….and 'You _belong_ to me'….and things like that. Things just went from bad to worse and I tried to keep him talking in hopes I could calm him down eventually."

The anger on Steve's face had gotten palpable, but he kept quiet as she continued with her story.

"Do you have any idea _how_ he found you?" asked Danny.

"At first, all he would tell me was that he 'had his ways' and that I shouldn't have tried to leave him. But he eventually told me that he'd gone back to my apartment the night we fought. When I didn't answer the door, he used his key to get inside and saw that my suitcase was gone so he assumed I'd come out here early. Then, he started snooping around and found my address book. Sometime over the weekend, he sold one of his detective friends a story about wanting to surprise me on my trip, so he got the guy to trace my phone and confirm that I was in Hawaii."

"Woah…Talk about abuse of power and gross misuse of resources." said Danny.

"I know. That's what I thought, too, but I guess cops do things under the radar sometimes." Since Danny and Steve both knew this to be factual, they couldn't argue. Carly continued. "So anyway, since he still had a plane ticket, he changed his flight and came out here early too. When I wasn't at the hotel, he found Mary's address in my address book and came here looking for me. If he would've been just a few minutes later, I would've already been gone to meet Lisa."

For the first time in several minutes, Steve spoke, "That would explain why he was surprised when I said this was 'my house'. He must've figured Mary lived here alone."

"Exactly. Which is a good thing because God only knows what may've happened if he would have known I'd stayed here alone with _you_ all weekend."

Steve saw tears welling up in her eyes again as she took a deep breath and looked down at her hands to get her composure back. Steve put his fingers under her chin and lifted her face to look at him "Tell me the truth; Did he hurt you?"

She gave him a small smile, "No. I kept him talking and he never touched me. Thank God you got here when you did, though. I don't know how much longer I could've kept him talking." She shuddered at the thought of what could have happened if Steve and Danny hadn't shown up when they did.

Deciding it was time to deal with Brad, Steve said they needed to head back to the office. Carly said she would stay at the house and clean up but Steve wouldn't hear of it. "Absolutely not. You're coming with us."

"Steve, seriously…I'll stay. You guys have Brad in custody now so I'm perfectly safe. I'd rather stay here and clean up the mess we made."

"We'll clean up the mess _he_ made later. For now, you're coming with us." He said in a tone that left no room for argument. Then he smiled a little half smile that made her heart do a flip flop and said, "You can meet the rest of my team while I beat the crap out of your ex boyfriend." She couldn't help but laugh.

"Trust me, babe, there is no use arguing with him. I know from personal experience he is one of the hardest headed guys on the planet." Danny said.

"Shut up, Danny. You haven't even met everyone on the planet" Steve replied as he kept smiling at Carly.

She finally relented and went to quickly freshen up before the three of them headed to the Five-0 headquarters.

_Back at Headquarters_

As they got out of the car, Steve saw Carly tense up a little at the prospect of being in such close proximity with Brad again. He grabbed her hand reassuringly and said, "Don't worry. You're not even going to _see_ him in here. I promise." He winked at her and pulled her closer for a quick kiss that caught her by surprise but instantly calmed her nerves. Funny how being around Steve seemed to have that effect on her, she thought. Rather than letting go of her hand, Steve kept hold of it and the three of them walked into the building.

Chin and Kono came out of their offices and were introduced to Carly. She immediately felt at ease with the cousins who were quick to offer genuine smiles.

After a couple of minutes of introductions and small-talk Chin said, "Hey, brah….You might want to call Mary. She's called here a couple of times wondering what was going on, and she doesn't sound very happy at being kept out of the loop so long".

Steve pulled out his cell phone and saw the missed calls he'd received from his sister there as well. "Damn! I had my cell phone silenced and forgot to call her back."

Carly put a hand on his arm "I'll call her." she offered.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah….She won't be nearly as mad at _me_ as she will be at _you_." she said.

"Good point. Besides, we have someone else we need to talk to right now." He looked at Chin and Kono. "By the way, where is he?"

"We've got him in Interview 1." answered Kono, "And can I just say….This guy is a real pain in the ass. He hasn't shut up since HPD brought him in here. He's been raising cane the entire time." Then she looked at Carly and said, "No offense."

Carly laughed a little, "None taken. Trust me, I understand."

Steve got Carly settled in his office so she could call Mary. Then came back out to ask Chin and Kono what, if anything, they'd been able to find out about Brad.

"Actually, we've been able to find out some very interesting details already." said Chin.

"Like what?"

"Well, as luck would have it, the D.A we talked to in Atlanta just happens to be an old college buddy of our very own Governor."

"Huh…Small world" said Steve.

"Very small." said Kono. "They were actually in the same fraternity so he was more than happy to help us out when we told him we had an Atlanta detective in custody who'd been out here raising hell. Turns out Brad has done this with two other girlfriends and has been under investigation for quite some time, but they've never been able to file any formal charges against him."

"Why not?" asked Danny.

"Because the women wouldn't file complaints or make any sort of formal statements." replied Kono. "This guy is apparently really good at intimidation, so the D.A's hands have been tied. There really isn't much they can do if these women won't bring any charges against him or testify. Internal Affairs can't even do anything without cooperation from the victims."

Steve glanced to his office where Carly was on the phone with Mary. "Well, let's see if we can give him some intimidation of our own, " and motioned for Danny to follow him to the interview room to confront Brad.

_Interview Room 1_

Before going into the interrogation room, Danny put his hand on Steve's arm to stop him.

"Please tell me you aren't going to do anything stupid in there."

"Like what?"

"Like beating him up first and then asking questions later."

"Now, Danny, would I do that?" Steve tried to ask innocently.

"Yes…Yes, you would….I distinctly remember 'interrogations' where you've had guys hanging off of rooftops and tossed them into shark tanks, just to name a couple of examples….which is why I feel it is my duty to _remind_ you that, with the exception of him breaking into your house today, we have very little to go on at the moment in the way of charging him with _anything_. Unless Carly or these other two women are willing to file charges against him, we have nothing to go on other than a simple breaking and entering charge."

Steve just smiled at him, "Don't worry. I've got it under control."

"That's what worries me." Danny sighed as Steve opened the door and they walked in to confront Brad.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks to all of the reviews and feedback! I've really enjoyed your comments and they've given me some confidence to keep this story going. :) Hope you continue to enjoy.**

Steve opened the door and walked into the interrogation room followed by Danny. The room was sparsely furnished with only one chair that was occupied by a still handcuffed and still angry looking Brad. Steve couldn't help but take pleasure in the fact that his nose did in fact appear to be broken. It was a swollen mess and both eyes were already sporting what would soon turn into black eyes.

" 'Bout time you showed up again, pretty boy." Brad spouted.

Steve smirked at him as Danny said, "Uh, might want to watch the sarcasm there, Rocky. From where I'm standing, you are at a distinct disadvantage at the moment and I'm not going to be held responsible for what happens if you piss him off any further." As if to emphasis his point, he added, "How's the nose, by the way? Looks like it might hurt a little."

Brad just glared at him and said nothing.

Steve stood still smirking and very calmly said "Danny, why don't you remove the man's cuffs so he can at least _think_ he'll have a fair fight." Danny looked at his partner as if he was insane, but when Steve didn't budge, he removed Brad's handcuffs and issued another warning in his ear, "I wouldn't make any sudden movements if I were you. He's feeling a little restless and won't need much of an excuse to kick your tail again. He's not big on cutting tourists any slack."

Once the handcuffs were removed, Brad seemed to be somewhat appeased as he started rubbing his aching wrists. Steve stood, arms folded, in a stare down with Brad before he finally spoke, "Wanna tell me why you broke into my house?"

"Wanna tell me what you were doing with my girlfriend?" Brad asked.

Steve decided to let Brad think what he wanted about what had happened with Carly, so he said "Your _**ex**__-_girlfriend which she's tried to make very clear. You just seem to be too stupid to hear it. And _what I'm doing_ with Carly is really none of your business." He let that sink in for a minute and saw the anger flash in Brad's eyes before he continued, "What _should_ be a concern, though, is the fact that you broke into my house, destroyed my property and put someone I care about in danger. You wanna give me an explanation for that?"

Brad said nothing, so Steve continued, "And while we're on the subject, tough guy, let me ask you this: Are you also responsible for the bruises on her pretty face?" Steve walked a little closer and leaned down so he was practically nose to nose with Brad, "Are you such a **coward** that you have to beat up on women to make you feel like a man?"

"She had it coming." Brad said.

Steve stood up again. "Excuse me, Danny, did I just hear him correctly? Did he actually say that she 'had it coming'?"

"That's what I heard." Danny saw the look on Steve's face and knew it was coming; He was getting ready to do something impulsive, and for once, Danny was actually in agreement. This guy deserved to have the crap beat out of him for beating up on women and then using his badge as a way to intimidate them from coming forward. Steve would find it hard to believe, but Danny was in agreement for once with what he knew was inevitably going to happen in the next few minutes.

Steve wanted to fight Brad so bad he could hardly stand it. He'd never really been one to pick fights…..only to finish them….but the thought of giving this guy a much deserved dose of his own medicine was sounding better every minute. So, he decided to bait Brad as he leaned down to look him in the face again. His voice came out in what was practically a low growl,

"You know what I think, Brad? I think maybe you couldn't really live up to Carly's fantasies so she decided she wanted to find a_ real_ man. Is that why she broke up with you, huh? Did she figure out it was time to find someone who could really satisfy her?"

_Oh boy._ Danny thought. _Here we go. _He crossed his arms, leaned back against the wall and waited for the fireworks to start.

Steve kept on, "Is that what happened, Brad? Did she hurt that little ego of yours so badly that you decided to hurt her too? Because from where I'm standing, there's no way you could possibly be man enough to handle a woman as beautiful….and smart….and sexy as Carly for very long."

That was all it took. Brad stood up and shouted, "You cocky son of a….." as he took a swing that hit Steve squarely on the jaw. Steve barely flinched before looking back at Brad again.

"Come on, take another shot, tough guy." he dared. Steve easily blocked Brad's next attempt with one arm while using his other arm to land a punch of his own right into Brad's stomach. The man doubled over as Steve continued to taunt him. "Come on! Is that all you've got?"

Brad straightened up and took another swing, but Steve caught him by the arm, turned him around and pushed him up against the wall in one swift move. Pressing all of his weight against him he leaned into his ear and said, "Listen to me, you worthless piece of crap, because I'm only going to say this once. Carly has made it clear that she's not interested in seeing you anymore. **It's over. **You screwed up any chance you had with her and now it's time to move on. Now, you are going to go **back** to Atlanta and face whatever it is you've got coming to you….and if you so much as breathe heavy in her direction again, I'll be more than happy to give you some more. Stay…away….from her. Got it?"

Brad only grunted in response as Steve cuffed him and shoved him back down in the chair.

As Danny and Steve started to leave, Brad screamed, "Where are you going? You can't leave me here. I'm a COP for God's sake."

"Yeah, and a sorry excuse for one at that." Danny piped in. " And actually, we can hold you for 24 hours with charges pending. Being a cop, you should know that. How do you think you'll fair in a holding cell tonight, cupcake?" The he looked at Steve and said, "We'll have to make sure they know that. The boys in lockup will probably be interested in knowing that."

"Oh absolutely." said Steve. And with that Steve and Danny left the room with Brad screaming obscenities behind them.

"Nice work, by the way." Danny commented to Steve.

"Really?" Steve said in disbelief. "No lecture about how I totally went against protocol and baited or abused a suspect?"

"Not this time. He had it coming."

"Finally! You're coming around to my way of thinking." Steve smiled.

"Uh, I wouldn't go that far so don't go getting all smug on me. I just think it was appropriate in this scenario. Besides, from where I was standing, it was a clear case of self defense." He smiled back.

The two men walked back towards their offices and Steve left Danny to update Chin and Kono while he went to check on Carly.

As soon as Steve walked into his office, Carly noticed the bruise that was already forming on his cheek. "Steve, what happened?" she practically ran up to him and gently touched his face.

"Ah, nothing. Just a lucky shot." he grinned. "Actually, I gave him a freebie. I figured it was only fair seeing as how I was going to give him some more of his own medicine."

"So what happens now?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, but we have 24 hours to figure it out before we have to let him go." He paused for a minute before going on, "Actually, I need to talk to you about that. Want to go grab some dinner so we can talk?"

Carly was curious to know what they needed to talk about, so she agreed. Steve went out to wrap things up with his team and get another update on where they stood with charges against Brad before he & Carly said their goodbyes. Since they'd eaten out quite a bit over the weekend, and since they both needed some time to unwind, they decided to go back to the McGarrett house and fire up the grill again. On the way there, Carly filled Steve in on her conversation with Mary and assured him she'd been able calm Mary down and convince her that everything was okay for the time being. "You always were the voice of reason in that friendship." Steve said.

Carly laughed, "What do you mean by that?"

"Look, I love my sister but we both know how she can fly off the handle sometimes."

Carly gave him a sly look, "Yeah, seems to run in the family from what I see."

Steve mocked offense, "Hey…..I always have a good reason when I lose my cool." he tried to defend himself. Carly smiled at him so big her dimples showed and Steve was struck again with how pretty she was. After everything that had happened today, she was finally looking more relaxed which he believed was due to Brad being in custody. Now that the threat of him showing up unexpectedly was gone, he could see her breathing easier and that made him a happy man.

When they got back to the house, they started picking things up in the living room and Carly was relieved to see that the damage wasn't nearly as bad as she'd first thought. It didn't take long to get things back in order. With that job out of the way, they got dinner together and sat on the patio enjoying dinner and wine as the sun started to set. Carly moved to start cleaning things up but Steve told her to leave it all for later. She looked at him questioningly as he took her hand and said, "Come on. We need to talk."

They both grabbed their unfinished glasses of wine and walked towards the sand. Steve motioned for her to sit down. She did so and he followed by sitting behind her stretching his long legs out next to hers and pulling her back to lean on his chest. Carly immediately felt herself getting flushed as she felt the hardness of his chest on her back and their legs touching. Steve's thoughts were closely mirroring her own and he couldn't but think about how well they fit together. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes watching the waves roll in before Steve said, "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you today."

"What do you mean?"

"I told you you'd be safe here and then I wasn't here when you needed me." he said quietly. Carly took his hands in her own and said, "You _were _here for me, Steve. You can't be with me every second! You got here before anything happened and that's what counts."

_Hmmm, who would've thought that this big, bad, SEAL would have moments of doubt_, she thought. _How sweet is that? _she smiled to herself.

"Maybe so, but I still wish I would've known he was here before he even got close to you." He held her a little closer and said, "Listen, we found out some things about Brad today that I'm not sure you know about, so we need to talk about it."

"What kind of things?" she asked.

Steve told her everything they'd been able to piece together so far on what had happened with Brad's previous girlfriends and them not wanting to file charges against him. He told her about the investigations with both the district attorney's office and internal affairs and how they'd been powerless to do anything without someone being willing to bring charges against him.

"You know how this works, Carly. You work with it every day. Guys like Brad will continue to do what they do until someone stands up to them."

Carly sat up and turned around to look at Steve defensively. "I know that, Steve. And believe me, had I known that this had happened before I wouldn't have gotten involved with him to begin with. And if I DID get involved with him and then found out about the other women later, I wouldn't have hesitated to file my own charges and talked to both of them about doing the same! By the time it started happening with me, Brad had me believing I was powerless to do anything about it. I had no idea the D.A. was involved or that anything like this had happened in his past." She let out a little huff of frustration, "How could I be so **naïve**?"

_She's cute when she gets fired up, _Steve thought and couldn't help but smile. "So you're willing to move forward with this?" he asked her.

"Dang straight, I am. And if the D.A. can talk the other women into talking to _me_ about it, I'll do my best to convince them to do the same thing."

"That's my girl." Steve said. And then immediately thought, _'MY girl? Where'd that come from?_ Carly's face softened a little at his words and she smiled back.

Steve coughed a little and looked suddenly shy as he said, "I mean…..Well, you know…..Actually I don't know _what_ I mean." He sighed, "I know it's probably too soon, but I really like you, Carly. Something has happened since you came back and I'm finding it kind of hard to fight what I'm feeling."

"I really like you too." she said. "I think things have been ending with Brad for a long time now and I just had a hard time letting go. To be honest, I don't know if I ever really loved him anyway. Maybe I was just 'comfortable'…..and then when things started getting worse, I felt trapped and didn't get out as soon as I should have. Things have been 'over' with us for awhile, though. " She smiled at him and her dimples showed again.

"Don't do that." Steve said and tried to look serious.

"Do what?"

"Smile at me so big your dimples show. They'll be the death of me."

She threw her head back and laughed. When she looked back at Steve again, he cupped her face in his hands, leaned in and kissed her softly at first and then more fervently as they both responded hungrily to the taste of each others mouth.

When they stopped long enough to take a breath, Carly said "So, my dimples are like kryptonite for Superman, huh? Mmmmm, I'll have to remember that, sailor." and happily kissed him again.

******************************************  
><strong>(Any thoughts on what should happen next? I have some ideas...Just wondering if anyone else has any opinions. :) ) <strong>


	7. Chapter 7

Steve and Carly sat on the beach quietly for awhile enjoying the sounds of the tide rolling in. Today had been an emotionally draining one for both of them, and although neither one of them said it, it was as if they had silently agreed to be still for a few minutes and decompress. They sat lost in thought; Steve's arms wrapped protectively around Carly as she leaned back into his chest.

Carly had no idea what had happened between Steve and Brad in the "interrogation" today, but she had no doubt Steve had gained the upper hand. She'd seen a protectiveness in him that was unexpected. It was something that wouldn't have surprised her had it been directed towards Mary or a member of his team, but that fierce protectiveness had been directed towards _her_ today which made her more certain than ever that the feelings that were unexpectedly growing in her heart for Steve were being reciprocated. When Brad had her cornered in the house and Steve had come barreling in at just the right moment, the look on his face was a mixture of fear over whether or not she was okay and fury at Brad for finding her where she was supposed to be safe. There were moments during that brief encounter when she was certain Steve could have torn Brad apart with his bare hands. He was completely in control and had been so threatening that she would have been terrified if his anger had been directed at her. But it wasn't….His anger was the result of him protecting her_, _soshe'd felt completely safe in the middle of the chaos. Then after Brad had been taken away by the HPD, Steve's entire demeanor had changed and she saw a tenderness in him that had completely melted her heart. He had been so concerned….almost frightened….over whether or not Brad had hurt her. The arms that had thrown her ex boyfriend to the floor and broken his nose just moments earlier had pulled her close with a gentleness that made her feel completely safe and, dare she say it, even _cherished_. Steve had held her close and quieted her until her trembling had stopped and she was able to calm down again.

If Steve had been reading Carly's thoughts as they sat there, he would have been surprised to know they were very close to his own. The thought of Brad hurting her again had terrified him, and it had taken all of the self control he possessed to stop at just breaking his nose. Truthfully, he had wanted to get Brad away from her as quickly as possible so he could just hold her and chase the fear away from her eyes. _No one is ever going to hurt her again,_ he resolved. Carly had only been back in Hawaii for a few days, but they had been inseparable during that time and he was already falling for her. He wasn't ready to admit that to anyone yet, but he couldn't deny it to himself any longer. As if going through a mental "checklist", he started thinking of all of the things he already admired about her: She was smart, strong, and successful; She was kind, generous and gorgeous and had a laugh that made his heart stop when he heard it. Carly was the perfect mixture of sweetness and sass that made her completely intriguing to him and the thought of her leaving in a matter of days wasn't something he liked to think about. Steve hadn't been expecting this little interruption into his structured world, but he liked it; She had walked back into his life and completely turned it upside down in a few short days. It was something he didn't want to stop anytime soon either. He figured he would have to make the best of the time they had together and figure out how he could get more time with her….soon.

Steve felt her shiver a little in the breeze and pulled her closer. "Want to go inside? Maybe we could watch a movie or something."

"Okay, but can I pick out the movie?"

"As long as you promise, no chick flicks. Don't think I could handle that tonight." He smiled.

They made their way back into the house and Steve showed her where the movie collection was while he made his way into the kitchen to get them another drink. When he returned, she was putting a movie into the player.

"So what's the verdict?" he asked.

"Well, you said no 'chick flicks', so let's compromise: I picked one that's a mix of action, comedy, romance and drama…Maybe even a little sci-fi. We'll cover all bases in one shot." She smiled at him and he had to admit to himself that he would've let her watch whatever she wanted, even a "chick flick", as long as he got to hold her some more. Then he saw the beginning of Pirates of the Caribbean starting on the screen. Carly looked at him and said, "You can have sword fights and I'll have Johnny Depp." Steve let out a big laugh and said, "Fair enough!"

He sat down on the couch and pulled her onto his lap. She looked at him a little surprised. "Are you trying to get fresh with me, Lt. Commander?" He was smiling at her with that little half-smile of his and looked so sexy she felt the warmth all the way to her toes.

"Nah, just want to make sure I'm more distracting than Jack Sparrow." Steve teased her.

_God help me, _she thought, _If you get any __**more**__ distracting, I'm going to spontaneously combust! _

Carly happily snuggled a little more into Steve's lap as they started watching the movie. It wasn't long before Steve noticed she'd fallen asleep. Mary had talked him into buying this "oversized couch" and replacing the one that had been in their house for years. Steve had thought it was unnecessary, but Mary had insisted that the house needed something more comfortable and up-to-date, so he'd finally given in to her wishes. He would have to thank her for that later now that he noticed it was big enough for him & Carly to lie there together. Trying not to wake her, he kept one arm around her waist as he shifted around so she was lying beside him with her head on his shoulder. He reached down to gently stroke her cheek and moved a strand of hair off of her face so he could see her more clearly. She was so beautiful and looked so peaceful and content that he had to fight the urge to lean down and kiss her sweet mouth again. If he started that, he may not be able to stop and he knew she needed to rest after the emotional beating she'd taken today. He gently kissed her forehead instead and whispered, "Sweet dreams" before grabbing the remote to turn off the tv. He was soon asleep himself as he felt her silky hair on his cheek and breathed in the scent of her peach shampoo.

When Carly woke early the next morning, she was pleasantly surprised to find she was still wrapped in Steve's arms on the couch. She felt the slow, steady breathing of his chest and realized he was still asleep. Figuring she could make _him_ breakfast for a change, she tried to get up slowly until she felt his arm around her tighten and heard him mumble an "uh uh" in protest. He opened his eyes and looked at her sleepily. Steve had such beautiful eyes. They were an interesting mix of ocean blue with little flecks of hazel around the edges. Being that close to him she noticed that he had really long eyelashes, too. _Hmph, why do __**guys **__always have the luck to get eyelashes like that? _she thought.

"Good morning, sunshine." He said in his husky, still sleepy voice. Every time she heard his deep, masculine, smooth as silk voice it sent pleasurable shivers down her spine. He leaned up to kiss her and she happily accepted before saying, "Good morning yourself. I was just thinking I could make _you_ breakfast today." Steve looked at his watch and realized he would be late for work again if he didn't get moving, so he reluctantly told her he would have to take a rain check. She gave him an exaggerated little pout that made him smile. "Sorry….duty calls. I'll make it up to you." He apologized before leaning down to kiss her again and running upstairs to take a shower.

Carly went into the kitchen to start coffee and find something for breakfast. Steve returned from his shower a few minutes later tucking a t-shirt into his signature cargo pants. "Do you have any plans today?" he asked.

"Not really. I was thinking I'd call Lisa to see if we can have a rain check on the lunch I missed yesterday. I don't really have anything else planned though."

"Well, we'll need for you to come down sometime to give a formal statement about what happened yesterday. Think you could do that sometime today?"

"Sure….Just let me get cleaned up and I'll be in as soon as I can."

Steve heard Danny pulling up outside so he gave Carly a quick kiss on the cheek before heading out the door.

_Later that morning….._

Steve and Danny were in a conference room going over some case files when Carly came walking in wearing a white sleeveless blouse, capri pants and a chunky turquoise necklace and earrings. Steve stopped mid-sentence as he noticed her walking in looking confident, fresh, and utterly tempting. Danny looked up to see what had caught Steve's attention when he saw her walking towards them with a big smile.

"So….you want to pick this up later?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Steve said nothing, just continued to watch Carly walk towards them until she entered the room.

"Hi guys. Am I interrupting?"

Steve finally found his voice again, "No. No, you're not interrupting. We were just getting ready to take a break." Danny looked at him as if to say, "We were?" but wisely kept his mouth shut. Instead he just smiled at Carly and greeted her warmly himself.

"Lisa couldn't meet for lunch today so I figured I'd come on down to give my statement. Is that okay?" She said.

"Yeah, that's fine, but first we need to give you a quick update on what's going on with Brad." Steve replied. He motioned for her to sit down as he & Danny took seats at the conference table as well. Steve continued, "We've spoken to the District Attorney's office in Atlanta as well as the officers involved in the I.A. investigation that has been going on. A US Marshal is on his way here to accompany Brad back to Atlanta today and make sure he gets there without any more incidents."

"What's going to happen when he gets back home?" she asked.

Danny took over, "Well, since you are the only one who has agreed _so far _to bring any charges against him, he'll probably be released on bail. You'll be able to get a restraining order against him and the D.A. will continue to work with the other two women to see if they will cooperate. Once they have more to go on….more of a "history" or "pattern of behavior"….they can move forward with more serious charges. A lot of the outcome will depend on whether or not the other two women will agree to come forward as well."

"I understand. If I'm the only one bringing charges against him, it's more of a slap on the wrist kind of situation. But, if the other two are willing to testify with me, we'll be able to get more significant charges filed." she asked. The two men shook their heads in agreement. "Okay, so are they bringing him back _here_ to wait on the US Marshal?" she asked.

"Yes" Danny answered, "Chin and Kono are on their way now. We'll hold him here until the US Marshal shows up to take him to the airport and get him back home."

Carly took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and looked Steve directly in the eye, "I want to talk to him." She said matter-of-factly.

"No." Steve said just as firmly.

"I'm not asking for _permission_, Steve. I need to say some things to him before he heads back to Atlanta, so either you let me talk to him or I'll find someone who will." Carly continued to look at him with a determined fire in her eyes.

The room was suddenly so silent you could hear a pin drop as the two participated in a 'stare down' of sorts. When Steve saw she wasn't backing down, he counter offered, "Alright, but you aren't going in there alone. I'll go in with you."

"No offense, but it would sort of defeat the purpose if I have a 'bodyguard' standing right beside me when I confront him. This is about me getting some control back for myself, Steve. I need to talk to him_ alone._"

Danny was watching the two of them in amusement and enjoying it immensely. _Who would have thought this petite woman would have the 'kahunas' to stand up to Super Seal_, he thought. He was equally surprised when he saw that it actually worked and Steve gave in.

"Alright fine." Steve said, "**But **we're keeping the cuffs on him and I will be right outside watching in case he tries to do anything stupid again. _That _is non-negotiable….Take it or leave it."

Satisfied with that deal, Carly smiled at him. Steve didn't look the least bit happy that he'd given in to her request until she leaned over, kissed him on the cheek, and whispered, "Thank you." Danny saw him visibly soften and couldn't help but wonder what was really going on. There was an undeniable spark between the two of them and Carly had an affect on Steve he'd never seen before. Danny secretly hoped she'd stick around because it seemed as if she could be good for his best friend.

The threesome moved to Steve's office where they could begin taking her statement. It wasn't long before Chin and Kono returned to the offices with Brad in tow. They put him in the conference room and waited for Steve, Danny, and Carly to finish up. As they came out of Steve's office a little while later and headed towards the conference room were Brad was sulking, Steve gently grabbed Carly's arm, "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked hoping she would change her mind.

"It's not really a matter of wanting to do it or not, Steve. I _have_ to do this. If I don't confront him now, I may never get the chance. I need to do this….for _me._"

He held on to her arm and said, "Okay, but listen….If he tries _anything _while you're in there alone with him, I'm coming in. Understand?"

Carly didn't like the worry she saw on his face. Truthfully, she wasn't feeling quite as brave as she was letting on at the moment either but she knew she had to press forward and do this. In an attempt to break the tension they were both feeling, she gave him a little salute and said smartly, "Yes, sir, Lt. Commander, sir!" as Danny tried unsuccessfully to conceal his laugh.

Steve stood, arms folded, and looked at her seriously, "Not funny."

Carly felt a little guilty, so she put her hand on his cheek and assured him, "Please understand, I _have_ to do this. I feel a lot stronger today…..More like my old self….and I'm not about to let him get away with what he's done any longer. I'll be fine. I promise. And if anything does happen, you can come in and save me again." she said softly.

Steve seemed to be appeased for the moment, so she took a deep breath and walked in to the conference room with him and Danny looking on.

**(Up next…Carly confronts Brad. Will she also admit her growing feelings for Steve? The next ****chapter is already underway and should be posted in SOON!) **


	8. Chapter 8

**(Two chapters in one day, you say? Well, I just couldn't stop until I got Carly's confrontation with Brad down on paper. We also have some more sparks flying between her and our resident tough guy, too. Steve continues to let his guard down with Carly which is fun to see (I know there is a 'soft side' inside of that tough exterior that he just doesn't show very often!) Thanks for all of the "favorites" you all have given me….I hope to keep you reading. As always, reviews are appreciated.)**

Brad looked at Carly with a scowl on his face as she walked into the room. He looked like he hadn't slept at all. _Steve really did a number on him_, she thought as she looked at the bandage on his broken nose and took note of the bruises that were showing up so prominently around his eyes today.

"What do you want?" he barked at her.

Carly sat very calmly across from him at the table and took a deep breath to steady her nerves,

"I need to say some things to you before you go back to Atlanta."

"Then why don't you have your boyfriend remove the cuffs so we can talk like civilized humans?"

Carly let out a sarcastic laugh as she replied. "You've sort of proven yourself to be _un_civilized and _un_trustworthy lately, Brad. Believe me, those handcuffs are probably more for your protection than mine." He didn't have to ask to know what she meant by that statement: Brad had already noticed McGarrett and his partner standing outside the conference room staring daggers at him. He was certain they were probably also listening through a two-way speaker to everything that was being said.

"So what do you want?" he asked again.

"I just want you to know that I'm filing charges against you for what happened back in Atlanta."

A malicious smile crossed Brad's face, "What's that going to do, Carly? So you're filing charges….Big deal. Nothing is going to stick because you have no proof." His cockiness came through as he said, "I am a well respected detective in Atlanta so who is going to believe _you_ over _me_? You're just a shrink. It's your word against mine, babe." Carly knew he was bluffing; At this point, she had the bruises to prove what he'd done as well as witnesses to the attempted assault he'd made on her just yesterday.

"See, that's where you're wrong, Bradley. It's not just my word against yours anymore. I have pictures to prove what you've done to me this time. There are also other women who are willing to testify that you have abused them as well. Not to mention the fact that I have witnesses to the fact that you _followed me_ out here, forced your way into the house yesterday and tried to assault me again." She saw him stiffen slightly so she leaned forward and continued, "I'm just letting you know that it all stops today. Your days of intimidating me and trying to control me are over. It's time to pay for what you've done to me….and others." She let him think about that for a moment before she said, "I'm just sorry I wasted so much time on you."

Brad snorted, "Yeah, I see you've already moved on to someone else, you little slut." Outside of the conference room, Danny sensed Steve getting ready to pounce so he put an arm up to steady him, "Down, boy. Give her a chance to handle this." Steve stood still but the muscles on the side of his jaw twitched as he tried to maintain his control.

"Didn't waste much time did you?" Brad continued, "How long has this been going on with pretty boy out there anyway?"

Carly sat back in her chair again to look at Brad, "Not that it's any of your business, but Steve is an old friend. I've known him since we were kids."

"Don't play innocent with me, Carly. I saw the way you looked at each other yesterday. And I saw the same looks between you when I came in here today. There's obviously something going on and I don't like it."

"Well, it's not really your place to worry about that anymore, Brad. **It's over** between you and me. It has _been _over for a long time. I just didn't admit that until recently. Now you need to do the same and move on."

"Yeah, as recently as when you flew out here to see McGarrett and he turned you against me." Brad huffed.

Carly sighed sadly, "I didn't come out here _to see him_ and he didn't turn me against you, Brad. _You_ did that all by yourself. I'll be honest with you though: Steve has shown me more tenderness and caring in the last few days than you did during our _entire_ relationship. No matter what you may be thinking, nothing has happened between us physically because he _respects_ me. That's something you obviously wouldn't understand because you were always too selfish to care about what _**I**_ needed or wanted. Steve treats me like a human being instead of a piece of property or a quick roll in the hay. He cares about what I_ think_….what I _feel_….and he makes me _happy. _I can't believe I was too blind to see that you never cared about me at all. I deserve better than that, Brad. I deserve someone who will love me the way I love him….You clearly don't have that in you."

Steve listened to Carly talk and had to swallow the lump that was forming in his throat as she continued, "Honestly, I didn't come out here looking for anything to happen with him, but I think it's happening anyway. I want to see where things might lead with him and you need to understand that things are over between us."

Brad sat in silence and didn't seem to want to say anything else as Carly stood up to leave. "I'm sorry it's come to this Brad, but I'm going to make sure you own up to what you've done. I'm not going to let anyone else be your victim. " She left Brad in the conference room and walked quickly past Steve and Danny to head outside. Steve looked at Danny as if wondering whether or not to go after her. Danny confirmed what Steve was already thinking by giving him a little shove and saying, "Go!"

Carly was nearly outside before Steve caught up to her. "Carly, wait." He called after her. Steve thought his heart would break as she turned to look at him and tried to fight the tears that were threatening to spill out at any moment. Her strong resolve was breaking under the stress of the moment and she suddenly looked vulnerable again. He opened his arms and softly said, "Come here." She gratefully walked into his hug as she lost the fight to hold back her tears any longer. After a couple of minutes, she said, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked her gently.

"For turning into a blubbering mess _**again**_. You must think I'm a complete basket case. I want you to know, I'm not normally this…" she stopped.

"This what?" he asked.

"This _weak_!"

She felt Steve chuckle as he said, "Are you kidding me? You were awesome in there! I didn't see any 'weakness'. All I saw was a strong, beautiful woman who was standing up for herself. I don't think _Bradley_ knows what hit him."

She leaned back and looked at him doubtfully, "Really?"

Steve took her face in his hands so he could look her in the eyes as he said, "Yes, really. I'm proud of you, sweetie. It took a lot of guts to do what you just did." Then he kissed her softly and she felt herself relaxing once again.

"Wanna grab some lunch?" he asked hopefully.

"I'd love to." She said. Steve ran back upstairs to let the rest of his team know where they'd be if the US Marshal needed him before they returned.

After lunch, Steve and Carly had returned to the Five-0 headquarters to find that Brad was on his way back to Atlanta under the watch of a US Marshal. Carly had breathed a sigh of relief even though she knew the fight was far from over. She left Steve and the crew at the office and set off to go for a drive and clear her head. She drove for quite awhile with the convertible top down on her rental car and enjoyed the freedom of having no where to go and no one to see for awhile.

Before heading back to the McGarrett house, she stopped at a grocery store to buy something for dinner. Steve had done so much for her and been so hospitable since she'd shown up unexpectedly that she decided to make a special dinner before he got home from work. Carly loved to cook and found it a lot of fun to cook for someone else when she had a chance.

Steve was pleasantly surprised when he got home a little while later. Danny had dropped him off and the two of them walked into the kitchen to find Carly standing at the counter chopping up vegetables for a salad. Norah Jones was playing softly in the stereo and the kitchen smelled like an Italian bistro. Steve couldn't hide his smile when she looked up to see them coming in. She smiled back, "Hi! Welcome home."

"Good to _be_ home." He said.

"I hope you don't mind me taking over your kitchen. I just thought I'd make dinner to say thanks for all you've done for me. Plus, we're celebrating! I've made lasagna, some French bread, and a salad." Carly smiled a little shyly when Steve looked at her appreciatively. Danny quickly sensed it was time to say his goodbyes so he left the two of them alone together.

Steve excused himself to take a quick shower and returned just as Carly was getting the lasagna out of the oven. She'd already set the table complete with nice dinnerware, wine glasses, and candles. As she placed the tray of lasagna on the table, Steve poured them each a glass of wine and they sat down to eat. He held his glass up to her to make a toast, so she followed suit. "Since we're celebrating, let's toast….to new beginnings." he said as they clicked glasses together. They ate in companionable silence as Norah Jones played softly in the background:

_It's not the pale moon that excites me_  
><em>That thrills and delights me,<em>  
><em>oh no It's just the nearness of you<em>  
><em>It isn't your sweet conversation<em>  
><em>That brings this sensation,<em>  
><em>oh no It's just the nearness of you<em>

_When you're in my arms and I feel you so close to me_  
><em>All my wildest dreams came true<em>

_I need no soft lights to enchant me_  
><em>If you'll only grant me the right<em>  
><em>To hold you ever so tight<em>  
><em>And to feel in the night the neaness of you.<em>

_(Author's Note: From Norah Jones's CD titled "Come Away With Me-2002. Originally written by Ned Jones and Hoagy Carmichael. Recorded by Hoagy Carmichael in 1937]_

Steve got a nostalgic look on his face. "Penny for your thoughts?" Carly said.

"Mom used to love listening to old crooners like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. Sinatra's version of this song was one of her favorites and she & Dad used to dance to it a lot. Mary and I used to think it was embarrassing, but I can remember them dancing right here in the middle of the kitchen."

He was lost in thought for a minute before looking at her with unmistakable affection in his eyes, "I think I'm beginning to understand the appeal more now." He stood up to hit "repeat" on the stereo before returning to hold out his hand to her, "Wanna dance?" he asked.

Carly's heart did a "flip flop" inside her chest as she took his hand and let him lead her to the middle of the floor. Steve pulled her close as the song started again and Carly realized she had never had a more romantic moment in her life. She and Steve were connecting on a much deeper level than just physical attraction, although that element was certainly there, too. Moments like this were so much more intimate than just physical attraction and they were showing her a side of the Navy SEAL she was certain he rarely showed to anyone else. Seeing his vulnerability and willingness to share that part of himself with her warmed her heart and gave her hope for what the future may hold for them.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry it's taken so long for another installment. I've been struggling with this chapter a little, but after getting Steve and Carly's thoughts down on paper, I think I am more comfortable with how things are progressing. Fair warning: THIS CHAPTER IS RATED "M" for sexual situations. Please do not read if you are offended by that! **

Coming home to find Carly making dinner earlier, Steve had suddenly realized how much he wanted those "normal every day moments" in his life; The kind of moments that help keep a man grounded and give him a purpose in life beyond what he does for a living. All feelings of security had disappeared for both Steve and Mary when their mother died and they had been sent back to the mainland to live with relatives. It felt as if they lost their mom and dad at the same time, and neither one of them understood the real reason for being sent away. Steve didn't learn the circumstances behind that decision until he returned to Hawaii after his father's death. It was almost incomprehensible to imagine the turmoil, heartbreak and guilt John McGarrett must have felt in losing his beloved wife and then basically giving up his children in order to keep them safe. Mary and Steve had both found ways to cope, but it hadn't been easy. Since Mary had been younger, she had struggled the most and went through several years of rebellion and basically raising hell. In some ways, it was as if she was still wandering and trying to find her place in the world. Steve, on the other hand, joined the Navy immediately after his senior year and found a sense of security once again. With the Navy, there was a very clear purpose. A clear set of rules to follow. A certain way to do things. Everything was black and white with no guesswork since you basically did as you were told with no questions asked.

Becoming a SEAL had been a natural step for him as well, not only because of the physical and mental challenge it provided, but also because it helped distance himself emotionally. The pain he kept buried inside was what kept him driven and helped him succeed in the SEAL program. Steve had survived for years by keeping most of his relationships casual and non-committal so no emotional attachment would occur. He always treated women respectfully, but was also up-front with them in order to avoid hurt feelings or expectations down the road. The life of a SEAL didn't normally lend itself to having any kind of long-term relationship since they could be called at a moments notice to leave on top secret missions for days, weeks, or months at a time. Yes, some SEAL's had families, but it was a tough lifestyle for most women to understand and accept. It was a lifestyle that negated the possibility of having any long term commitment to anyone, in his opinion, and that had suited him fine.

Until now…..Everything had started to change in a matter of days. Being under the same roof with Carly had begun to awaken unrecognized dreams that were buried deep inside of him. Dreams that he hadn't even known existed in his own heart. She had a way of making him feel comfortable and safe enough to let down his guard. He couldn't deny the irony in realizing that she was unknowingly making him feel safe on an emotional level as he was trying to make her feel safe from Brad on a physical level. For the first time in his adult life, he was beginning to wonder if "long term commitment" was really in the cards for him. It was as if Carly had unlocked a secret and shown him a treasure he'd never known could be within his reach. Was it really possible for him to open his heart to someone and have stability and love in his life? The possibility of having that hadn't even crossed his mind until she walked back into his life.

As the song ended and another one started, he wasn't ready for the moment to end so he continued to hold her close as they danced together.

Carly saw Steve's brow furrow as if he was lost in thought, so she softly ran her fingers through the short hair on the back of his head to break his concentration.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Huh?...Oh, nothing."

She didn't buy it. "Come on. You're totally serious all of a sudden. Spill it!"

Steve looked at her for a moment and smiled, "I was just thinking how nice it is to have you here. Thanks again for dinner. You're a fantastic cook!"

"Oh, thanks. I really love to cook. I just don't have a reason to do it very often since it's hard to do for one person without having leftovers for a week." She laughed.

"You didn't cook for Brad?"

"I _would've_ cooked for him, but we had very different schedules. He wanted to eat out most of the time anyway, so that's what we did. Cooking is something I haven't had a reason to do very often in recent years."

Steve shook his head in disbelief, "That man clearly didn't know what he had." When Carly looked up at him again, she saw the hidden meaning behind his words; Brad had missed out on a lot by not realizing what he had in Carly on many levels and it was something Steve wasn't going to take for granted.

They continued to dance together before Carly pushed again, "That's not what you were thinking, though. Your face was way too serious to be thinking about my cooking." She smiled, "What's on your mind?"

Steve sighed and looked at her seriously. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Ask me anything".

"Did you mean what you said to Brad today?"

"I meant all of it….but what part are you referring to exactly?"

Steve cleared his throat nervously and suddenly had a boyish look about him as if he was afraid of being rejected. "The part about wanting to see where things might lead with you and me? I mean, you said it's been 'over' with him for quite awhile, but still….Did you mean it or were you just trying to tick him off and make him think you were moving on?"

Carly saw an uncharacteristic vulnerability in his eyes as he looked at her with a mixture of apprehension and hope in his eyes. She answered by pulling him closer and kissing him in a way that left no doubt what she was feeling. The kisses that started out tender soon became more insistent as the hunger in both of them began to rise. Soon Steve teased her mouth open with his tongue and slipped inside to taste the sweetness there. Carly let out a little whimper of disappointment as he pulled away for a second to look at her. He was pleasantly surprised to find the same need in her eyes that he was feeling himself. He smiled at her before invading her mouth again and nearly driving her crazy with the skill of his tongue. Dear God, if he was this good at kissing her, she could hardly wait to find out what other techniques he had to make her come undone. Carly let out a soft moan as she felt Steve's hands slide down to cup her firm backside. He easily lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around him causing her sundress to move up her waist. Steve felt the soft skin of her thighs and lacy panties in his hands and it was all he could do not to take her right there. She felt so warm and willing that it was driving him mad.

But was it too soon? He'd had flings before and he'd had "friends with benefits" before, but he wanted neither of those with Carly. He realized with certainty that she was too special to him for that. What was happening with her felt much different. He felt an emotional connection with Carly that he couldn't explain to anyone, least of all himself. All he knew was that he didn't want to move too fast for her and risk losing what they could have together.

As if having second thoughts, he stopped suddenly. "Carly, maybe we should….", his voice came out in a husky whisper.

"Shhh…..Don't stop." she replied as she kissed his neck and continued to breathe in his scent. Steve smelled like an intoxicating mixture of soap, sand, and just a hint of aftershave that made her feel warm all over. Keeping her legs wrapped tightly around him, she began to trail kisses down his neck until she reached the hair peaking from his shirt. Then she moved back up tasting his throat…..his neck….his cheek….before reaching his mouth again.

This time it was his turn to have a moan of pleasure escape before he pulled away again. "I just don't want to push you too fast, sweetie" he whispered. Even as he said it, Carly's eyes told him what he needed to know. Something was happening between them and all Steve could think about at the moment was loving her. There would be no turning back. He looked at her with an intensity that took her breath away, "Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked.

"More ready than you know. Please don't stop." she practically begged and he felt his last bit of resolve caving in. Steve held on to her as he started making his way up the stairs towards the bedroom.

"Too many clothes." She whispered as she nuzzled his neck and started unbuttoning his shirt to move her hands inside and have more access to his firm chest. He was solid as a brick wall, but she still felt him shiver under her touch as she began to slowly caress his skin. Carly quickly removed the offending piece of clothing just as Steve stepped into his room and walked over to the bed to lay her gently down. She quickly sat back up on the mattress to stand on her knees in front of him and began to unzip his jeans. Slowly, tortuously, she moved them down his muscular thighs trailing kisses along the way. With the jeans gone, she took only seconds to free his erection and slide her fingers around his silky skin. Slowly, rhythmically, she started to move her hand back and forth…back and forth…as she kissed her way down his stomach. She knew her touch was driving him crazy and she loved the power it gave her over him in that moment. _Super SEAL isn't always so tough_, she smiled to herself. Carly looked up at him with a glint in her eyes before taking him into her mouth. She heard his hiss of pleasure as he threw back his head in ecstasy and wrapped his fingers through her soft curls to pull her closer. She reached around to grab his butt with her free hand and continued to taste him until he was on the edge of exploding. "Carly, you're driving me crazy…" but still she continued until he couldn't take any more. Steve finally regained some control and stepped back causing her to look up at him. "Your turn." He said softly.

He pulled her sundress over her head and stared in wonder at her gorgeous curves before moving leaning her back against the pillows and moving on top of her. He grasped her wrists to hold her arms above her head with one hand as he started to trail slow kisses down her body. With his free hand, he caressed one breast and smiled as she arched at his touch. He unfastened the front closure of her bra before running his tongue over her nipple and taking her into his mouth. Carly sucked in a breath and arched up towards him again as she tried unsuccessfully to free her wrists from his grasp. "Mmm, mmm. Just let me love you…." He protested. As his tongue moved to give equal attention and exquisite torture to her other breast, she felt his hand slowly making it's way down her stomach. He quickly removed her panties and parted her thighs to touch her most sensitive part. Steve could barely hold on to his control as he felt her already wet in anticipation of his touch. "You're so beautiful" he whispered as he began to stroke her softly. When she thought she couldn't take anymore, he moved his fingers inside and continued to drive her to the brink of sanity. "Steve, please….." she begged. "I want to feel you inside of me."

Knowing neither of them would be able to take much more of the sweet torture, Steve moved between her legs and positioned himself at the entrance of her hot, sweet center. Carly moved her legs around his waist in anticipation and smiled up at him. Then, she closed her eyes in sheer ecstasy as Steve slowly thrust inside of her. He waited for a moment to allow her to adjust to him before she arched up again as if begging him to continue in this most intimate of dances. They were both already on the brink and it wasn't long before Steve felt Carly shuddering beneath him followed by his own earth shattering release. When it was over, he collapsed on top of her trying not to crush her with his weight.

Carly felt the pounding of his heart echoing her own. "Wow….." was all she could say.

Steve's deep chuckle against her neck sent shivers down her spine as he said, "You can say that again."

"Okay…..Wow…Wow…..Holy Wow! When can we do that again?"

He leaned up to kiss her firmly on the mouth, "As soon as possible works for me."

Soon they were making love again before falling asleep in each other's arms.

**What's next? Well, Mary should be on her way to the island, so it will be interesting to see how she takes to the idea of her brother and best friend hooking up. It could go either way…..Although, I personally think she'll like the idea. We'll have to see.**

**We also have to see if Brad is going to resurface. Bullies like him usually don't go away too easily! **


	10. Chapter 10

**Next chapter is finally here! Mary comes back in to town….and we find that Brad isn't going to give up so easily.**

Carly woke the next morning feeling every inch of her body tucked into Steve's. Not that she was all that experienced, but past sexual relationships had never led to any cuddle time after the deed was done. For this reason, Carly had never completely understood the appeal of spooning and falling asleep in a man's arms until now. Waking up to find Steve holding her close was absolute bliss and she didn't care if she ever moved again. Their bodies fit together as if they were made for each other. She was perfectly content as she listened to him breathing and felt the warmth of his bare skin against her own. Being with Steve felt so right in every way even though she wondered how things could work out between them. She had a life in Atlanta and his was in Hawaii. If things continued to progress, how could they make that work? Numerous obstacles filled her mind until her inner voice eventually told her to stop and enjoy the moment. There was no harm in taking things one day at a time to see where they ended up.

Carly reluctantly removed herself from Steve's embrace and turned to watch him sleeping before getting out of bed. As she looked down at him, she was struck by how peaceful and relaxed he looked and was pleased to realize the part she'd played in making that happen. The serious look he was so famous for was gone and his face looked content and satiated after a night of incredible lovemaking. It had been a magical night and Carly momentarily felt herself blushing as she remembered the wild side he seemed to awaken in her. She leaned down to kiss him on the cheek before quietly leaving to get a shower. It wasn't long before Steve surprised her by joining her and introducing her to the pleasure of morning-after showers together. It was the perfect way to start the day and Steve left for work with a smile on his face yet again.

The day passed pretty quickly for both of them as the Five-0 team caught a case and Carly kept herself busy getting in touch with old friends. Finally, Thursday afternoon rolled around and Steve and Carly headed to the airport together to pick up Mary.

"Are you worried?" Carly asked Steve as they rode together.

"About what?" he asked.

"About what Mary might say when she finds out about us?"

"Not a chance. Why? Are _you_ worried?"

"A little. I mean, we've been friends forever but this could change things." Carly replied.

Steve looked at her questioningly.

"What I mean is that I know how protective you two are of each other. You may not realize this, but Mary's pretty particular about who you hook up with."

Steve took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I know what you're saying, but I don't think she's going to be upset about us getting together. Actually, I think she's probably going to like the idea more than you realize."

"You think so? I don't want to cause problems in our friendship….but I don't want to give up what you and I have started either…..so I feel like I'm caught in the middle. I've never been in this situation before."

Carly still looked tentative as Steve brought her hand up to his mouth and gave it a quick kiss. "Don't worry, Babe. Everything is going to be fine. I promise." He smiled and she felt herself relaxing a little.

They pulled into the airport with minutes to spare and headed into the terminal to meet Mary. Steve said a silent prayer on the way in that Mary hadn't gotten herself into any sort of trouble on the flight over as she had the last time. He wanted this weekend to go as smoothly as possible. To his relief, it wasn't long before they saw her coming towards them with a big smile on her face.

She went up to Steve first as he took her into a bear hug. "Hey Bro. I missed you!"

Steve kissed her cheek, "I missed you too, kid."

Then she turned to hug Carly, "I missed _you_ too. I'm sorry I couldn't get here any sooner, but it sounds like Steve took care of Loser Brad for you."

Carly smiled at her friend, "Yeah, I think things are handled; At least for the moment. It's good to see you, Mar. It's been too long!"

As they headed towards baggage claim to get Mary's luggage, she turned to Carly and said, "So, I want to know what you've been up to since you've been here. Tell me everything that happened with Brad and everything that's happened since. Have you been able to do anything **fun** since you've been here? I mean, I know my brother can be somewhat of a bore, so I hope he's been a good host. Tell me everything and don't leave anything out." The look that passed between Steve and Carly didn't go unnoticed, and Mary even saw a flicker of a smirk on her big brother's face before it quickly disappeared. Carly, on the other hand, looked almost guilty although Mary couldn't imagine why. Mary looked at each of them, "Am I missing something?"

Carly was wide eyed but said nothing before Steve put his arm around Mary and continued to steer her towards the baggage claim area. He looked over Mary's head and gave Carly a quick wink before saying, "No worries, Mar. You guys have plenty of time to catch up. Let's get your stuff and get out of here because the team is coming over for a cookout tonight." Mary seemed appeased for the moment but couldn't help but wonder what _that_ was all about.

_Back at the McGarrett House_

By the time they returned to the McGarrett house, Chin and Kono had already arrived to welcome Mary home, and it wasn't long before Danny, Grace, and Kamekona joined them as well. Everyone started enjoying the time together and Carly noticed how they seemed to be more like family than just co-workers. Even Kamekona seemed to fit right in with the group. It was refreshing to be around everyone, but it made Carly wish for the same kind of camaraderie in her own work environment. Everyone she worked with was always so formal and the idea of hanging out together after work had never really come up. This was a nice change and she felt herself sitting back and enjoying how they all interacted together.

After they finished eating, they all took chairs on the back deck and continued joking and teasing each other about one thing after another. Steve quickly grabbed the chair beside Carly and sat down before Kamekona could take it. "Sorry this seat is already taken. Find your own, bigguy." teased Steve.

"Come on, brah. You've been right beside pretty Carly all night. Now it's _my_ turn."

"Sorry, man. You snooze, you lose! Find your own seat….This one's mine." Steve said and motioned him away.

"Oh, I see how you are. Cruel….Just plain cruel." Kamekona mocked a hurtful look and shook his head as he walked away to find a seat beside Grace. "Fine. I'll just sit my Gracie. You won't make me leave, will you?" Grace just smiled at him as he sat down.

Mary watched the interchange with amusement. It hadn't escaped her the way Steve and Carly had been sharing little looks through the entire dinner. She'd also caught Steve watching Carly a few times and he'd barely left her side all night. Even though she knew they were both trying to hide it, there was an obvious attraction and electricity in the air between them. Mary got the feeling a lot more had happened in the last few days than she had realized and she could barely wait until later when she could talk to Carly alone and get details. Mary had never seen her big brother act this way towards a woman and the idea of Steve and Carly getting together actually made her happy. The more she thought about it, the more she realized they were actually quite perfect for each other. Steve had become an expert on keeping his emotions hidden, but Mary was one of the few who knew he had a softer side. Was it possible that her best friend was the one who held the key to unlocking that side of Super SEAL?

As she watched Steve look at Carly and smile again, she noticed and uncharacteristic softness in his eyes and was convinced that there was definitely something going on between them. _Well, well….Looks like Steven John McGarrett may be human after all,_ she thought to herself.

By 11 o'clock, everyone had gone home. Steve stayed on the back deck to put everything back in order while Mary and Carly put things away in the kitchen. Mary seized the chance to ask Carly what was going on with her brother. Watching the two of them all night had made her feel like she was about to bust with curiosity. Mary had never been known for keeping things quiet so it had taken all of the self control she had not to call them out on it while everyone was there. Her curiosity had finally gotten the best of her and she couldn't wait any longer.

She looked at her friend and smiled, "So…..you and Steve, huh?"

Carly looked up, "Huh?"

Mary pointed her fingers from Carly to Steve "You and Steve….Something's up and I know _he_ won't tell me anything, so _you_ have to give me details. Time to fess up!"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about." Carly tried in vain to act innocent, but Mary noticed the quick glance she gave to Steve out back.

"Come on, Carly. We've been best friends since we were kids, so you can't fool me." She smiled at Carly again, "Admit it, you've got it bad for my brother."

Carly tried to dismiss it. "Come on, Mar. That was back in high school….Things have changed."

"The only thing that has changed as far as I can see is that Steve has finally wised up and sees how incredible you are."

Carly was almost afraid to believe it. "Maybe."

"There's no "maybe" about it. Trust me, I have never seen him look at another woman the way he's been looking at you since I got here."

"So you wouldn't be mad if something did develop between Steve and me?" Carly asked.

"Are you nuts? Why would I be mad? I think you guys would be great together."

Carly felt relief that they were finally discussing the subject because she didn't like feeling as if she was hiding things from Mary. "Mary, I just want you to know that I didn't come out here looking for this to happen. I mean, it wasn't intentional…Things just sort of happened."

Mary walked over to give Carly a hug, "Oh I know, but I'm happy about it. Really. I hope things work out because it would be awesome to have you as my sister 'officially'."

Steve walked into the kitchen to find the two women hugging each other and tears in Carly's eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Mary looked over at her brother and rolled her eyes, "Nothing is _wrong, _you big goof." Then she looked at him pointedly, "All I can say is it's **about time **you got a clue!" and walked out of the kitchen leaving him and Carly alone again.

Steve looked at Carly totally bewildered. "Did I miss something?"

He looked so cute that Carly couldn't help but laugh. She walked over to put her arms around his neck and give him a kiss. "We were just discussing how happy Mary is that you and I have hooked up."

"Well, that's a relief because I didn't know how much longer I could wait to do this…." He replied as he pulled her closer and brought his lips down to hers for a knee weakening kiss that left them both breathless. Then he gave her the cocky, boyish grin she loved so much and said, "I told you there was nothing to worry about, didn't I?"

Carly had a feeling there was a little more meaning behind that statement than Steve was letting on. "So had she said something to you about it already?" she asked.

"Well, she did ask me earlier why _your_ stuff was in _my_ bathroom….so I'm pretty sure she had us figured out already."

Carly felt her cheeks get red and she looked completely embarrassed. "Oh my gosh. I completely forgot about that! Geez, how could I be so stupid. I should've gotten my things out before we went to pick her up. Do you think anyone else noticed?"

Steve just laughed. "Relax, sweetie. It's no big deal. I think Mary probably had it figured out before then anyway, but she just jumped on the chance to tease me about it because….Well, because that's what little sisters do. And no, I don't think anyone else would've gone into my bathroom….But I can't promise they didn't notice the way I was looking at you tonight. I'm finding it hard to hide the fact that I think you're beautiful." He kissed her again just as Mary was walking back in to the kitchen.

"Cut it out, you two. Just because I'm happy about my brother and best friend FINALLY hooking up doesn't mean I want to see you making out all weekend."

"You have something else in mind?" Steve asked.

Mary grabbed each of them a beer from the fridge. "As a matter of fact, I do. Carly and I still have a lot of catching up to do so you can either join us or make yourself scarce, bro." She gave Steve a teasing look as she walked out back again. Steve grabbed Carly's hand and the two of them walked out to join her.

As Carly was telling Mary everything that had happened with Brad, her cell phone started ringing. She pulled it out of her pocket to look at the Caller ID but made no move to answer. Her face grew pale and Steve asked her who was on the phone. When Carly didn't answer, he took her hand and turned it so he could see who was calling. Brad's name popped on the screen.

"Is this the first time he's tried to call you?"

Carly shook her head "No".

She looked into his piercing blue eyes as he asked, "How many times?"

"He didn't call me until today. He's tried several times and I've just ignored the calls."

The look he gave her made her feel like a naughty schoolgirl hiding something she shouldn't have. Steve felt his blood pressure rising just thinking about Brad still harassing her, "Why didn't you tell me he was still bothering you?"

Mary interjected, "Calm down, bro. Need I remind you that you have a reputation for freaking out…..which is probably why she didn't say anything about it yet. Besides, we've been kinda busy all afternoon."

"Well, that….and the fact that I was just hoping he would stop calling once I ignored a few calls." Carly added.

Her phone started to ring again. Before Steve could answer, Mary grabbed the phone from his hand and answered it herself, "What do you want, jackass?" she asked.

"Who is this? Where's Carly?" a drunken Brad slurred into the phone.

"This is Mary…..and Carly is not available. Do yourself a big favor and get a clue: It is OVER between you. You need to get that through your thick skull before someone has to beat it into you."

"Someone like your pretty boy brother, you mean?"

"Hey, whatever floats your boat, _Bradley_. I'm sure Steve will be more than happy to give it another go if you're stupid enough to push him. You need to **leave Carly alone**. Do you hear me? It's over."

"No, _you_ listen to _me_," Brad sneered, "You can't be with Carly 24/7 and neither can your brother. I'll have my final say with her sooner or later."

Mary sat up a little straighter, "What's _that_ suppose to mean?"

"Just what I said. I will have my say sooner or later and no one will be able to stop me." Brad's chilling laugh was the last thing Mary heard before he hung up the phone.


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Hawaii Five-0 and no copyright infringement is intended.**

**FRIDAY NIGHT**

The night of Mary and Carly's high school reunion had finally rolled around. Steve came home from work exhausted after a long day and ready for a night of relaxation. The women were upstairs getting ready so he headed to his bathroom hoping to get a shower after his long day. However, he found his bathroom was occupied by Carly who was still going to be awhile by the looks of things.

Steve was still in his bedroom when he saw her so he allowed himself a few seconds to admire the view before she caught him staring. She was wearing a sexy cream colored lacy bra and panties that made his mouth water. It was the kind of ensemble that made a woman look innocent and naughty at the same time which only made him want to take them off and have his way with her. She was leaning over the sink to get a little closer to the mirror as she applied her eye make-up which gave him a great view of her cute backside. She soon realized she was being watched as she caught a glimpse of him in the mirror. Knowing she was probably interrupting his plans for an after-work-shower, she turned to smile at him.

"Sorry. Give me just a few more minutes and I'll be out of your way." She said apologetically.

_Right, he thought. I know what 'a few more minutes' means when a woman is getting ready to go out._ Rather than saying anything that might get him into trouble, he came up behind her and put his arms around her slim waist as he leaned down to kiss her neck which was one of the spots he knew drove her crazy. She leaned into him for just a second before she said, "As much as I hate to say this, you need to stop or I'm never going to get ready in time."

"That's okay. You can stay here with me. I'm sure I'd be more fun than your class reunion." he whispered huskily into her ear giving her goosebumps from head to toe.

Carly had no doubt that was very true, but she insisted. "The class reunion is the whole purpose for my trip out here, silly!' she laughed. "Besides, Mary Ann would kill me if I ditched her to stay here with you. We haven't really had any "girl time" yet. It's only for a few hours."

"Maybe I should go with you." He suggested.

Mary Ann chose that moment to walk into the bathroom. "Don't even think about it, bro." she warned.

Keeping his place behind Carly, Steve kept his hold on her and turned them both around so they were facing Mary Ann.

"And why not?" he asked.

"No offense, but going to my class reunion with my big brother would be a _serious_ buzz kill. We want to have _fun_ tonight and having you there would totally negate any possibility of that happening."

Steve mocked a hurt look on his face and said, "I have no idea what you're talking about Mar."

"Oh please. Need I remind you how many of the guys in my class wouldn't even look at me when we were in school because you were my big brother." She scowled as Steve smiled at the memory. "Seriously, you are _not_ going with us. End of story."

Even though Mary was right, Carly still felt a little sorry for Steve so she turned in his arms to face him. She put her arms around his neck and said, "I promise to make it up to you," and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Steve looked momentarily satisfied even though he wasn't totally comfortable about them going alone; not after everything that had happened with Brad.

He didn't want to put a damper on the moment, but he had to ask anyway, "Has Brad tried to call you anymore since last night?"

"No…..which is actually kind of weird, but I guess I should be happy that he got the hint." Carly answered.

Steve wasn't so sure that was the case, but he had no choice but to go along with it for now. He was relieved for the moment that Brad hadn't been harassing her anymore even though he had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that they hadn't heard the last of him.

Steve left the women to finish getting ready and went downstairs to grab a beer from the fridge. He was just settling into his favorite recliner and turned the tv to ESPN to catch some sports highlights when he heard them walking down the stairs. He turned to look and felt his breath catch. Carly was wearing a cream colored halter style dress that hugged her soft curves perfectly. The hem fell mid thigh and revealed long, tan legs that ended in strappy metallic heels. She'd fixed her hair so that her curls were hanging in soft waves around her shoulders and had accented her outfit with gold jewelry. She looked like a Grecian goddess. Even his little sister, who wasn't one to dress up, looked gorgeous in a black strapless mini dress and matching sandals. Her hair was pulled up into a pretty up-do with a few pieces falling to strategically frame her face. Seeing the two of them all dressed up, he was seriously reconsidering his decision not to accompany them that night.

Mary Ann must've read his mind because she spoke up before he could make a comment, "Remember. You're staying _home_ and _we _are going out!"

Steve shrugged and tried to act casual, "Yeah, I know. Hey….by the way, you both look beautiful. Really." Then his face got serious again, "I don't know how I feel about that actually. Seeing you go out looking like you do tonight is….."

Before he could work himself into a lecture, Mary walked over to where he was sitting and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek. "Don't wait up, big brother. We'll be home sometime before dawn."

Horrified at the thought, Steve stood up and glared at her, "Over my dead body. Your party only lasts until midnight so you should be home by one."

"Seriously? You're giving us a _curfew?_" she tried to act mortified but her smile told him she was just teasing.

Realizing how ridiculous he sounded, he softened a little. "No, I'm not giving you a _curfew_, but if you decide to go anywhere afterwards, gimme a call so I won't send out a search party." He walked over to Carly and pulled her into his arms for a kiss that was a little too intimate for Mary's comfort level.

"Excuse me, Casanova, but we need to go. Now…or we'll be late." she teased.

Steve reluctantly pulled away from Carly but kept his arms around her for a few seconds longer. He stole one more kiss before telling her again, "You really do look beautiful. Don't let anyone steal you away tonight, Sunshine."

Carly blushed. "Not to worry, Commander. I'm all yours….and don't worry, we _will_ be home before dawn!" she winked at him.

Watching them go, Steve wondered how he was going to stay home all night knowing she was out on the town looking good enough to eat and not being able to do anything about it? Sometimes life just was not fair, he decided. With a loud sigh, he settled back into the chair and tried to focus on the baseball "plays of the week" instead of thinking about Carly and her very tempting lacy underwear.

**THREE HOURS LATER…**

Steve had fallen asleep in the chair with the tv still on when he heard his phone ringing. Half asleep, he answered without looking at the caller ID to see who it was, "McGarrett"

"Steve!" he heard panic in Mary's voice which immediately made him sit straight up and put his senses on high alert.

"Mary, what's wrong?"

"Oh my God, Steve. I don't know what happened. She was here one minute and gone the next. I don't know what happened….."

He tried to keep his voice calm and not panic, "Mary, slow down. Tell me what happened?"

Mary was near tears, "Carly left for like 2 seconds to go to the ladies room, but I started to get worried when she didn't come back after a few minutes. I went to check on her and she wasn't there."

"What do you mean, she wasn't there?"

"She wasn't _there_, Steve! Someone said they saw a guy talking to her when she came out of the bathroom and then he started leading her away towards the beach . Steve, you have to do something….I've looked everywhere and I can't find her!"

Steve closed his eyes and took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves. It didn't work…so he took another breath and tried again before talking, "Mary, do not leave where you are. I'll be right there."

"I have to keep looking for her. What if BRAD has her?"

"Mary, listen to me. _Do not move_….I mean it. The last thing I need is for both of you to be out there with that maniac. _Stay put_ until I get there. Understand?"

"Okay." Mary answered weakly. "But hurry….She's already been gone for awhile and I have no idea where she is."

"I'll find her, Mary. I'm on my way. You stay put!" Steve was in his truck within minutes and called Danny.

"You'd better have a good reason for calling me at 11:00 on a Friday night. Can't I ever have a night off to watch a game?" Danny asked.

"Will you shut up and listen for one second, Danny?" Steve retorted. Danny heard what almost sounded like panic in Steve's voice, so he softened.

"Okay...What's up?" he asked.

"I don't know. Mary just called from the class reunion and said Carly is gone."

Sounding just like Steve, Danny said, "What do you mean she's gone?"

Steve relayed what Mary had told him and asked for Danny to meet him at the hotel. Then he called Kono and Chin and asked them to do the same while also finding out anything they could on whether or not Brad had returned to the islands.

A mixture of adrenaline and panic pushed him on as he made his way to the hotel where the class reunion was being held. _I swear to God, I will kill you with my bare hands if you've hurt her, _Steve muttered under his breath_. _Then he said a silent prayer that she would be okay until he found her.


	12. Chapter 12

**Just to forewarn everyone: There is some sexual violence ****implied**** in this chapter which is another reason for the rating on this story. Hopefully this chapter won't disappoint you. I love hearing from all of you, so please let me know what you think. **

Steve barely let his truck come to a stop before he jumped out to run inside the hotel. Before he could reach the front doors, he saw Mary Ann anxiously waiting for him outside. As soon as she saw Steve approaching, she ran and threw her arms around him and Steve was reminded of his role as Big Brother. They may have their differences and disagreements with him being so serious and her being much more _relaxed_, but in the end, they were family.

_Years ago when Steve and Mary Ann were children: _

_Steve was sound asleep when he heard a small voice in the dark. "Stevie, are you awake?"_

_Steve groaned. "What do you want, Mar? I'm trying to sleep!" _

_Her heard her sniff and her voice was shaky, "I had a bad dream. Can I sleep with you?"_

'_Good grief,' Steve thought to himself. 'Why can't she go bother Mom and Dad?' _

_He turned to see his little sister standing beside his bed holding her favorite stuffed bunny and he couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Steve remembered his Dad telling him time and time again, "She's your little sister, Steve. It's your responsibility to help take care of her." Steve reluctantly folded back his blanket and motioned for her to climb in, "Okay, but no squirming! And don't tell anyone that I let you come in here and sleep." After all, he thought, a guy has a reputation to uphold….even in elementary school!_

_Mary Ann smiled and quickly snuggled up beside him. After a few minutes of silence, he heard her whisper, "Thanks Stevie." _

"_For what?" he asked._

"_For scaring away the Boogie Man. He never comes into your room."_

Mary Ann was still his little sister. No matter how old they grew, that would never change and Steve would always feel a responsibility to make the Boogie Man go away.

"Steve, I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking letting her go by herself in there."

Steve was feeling the same panic Mary was showing, but he knew he needed to stay calm if they were going to find her. "It's okay, Mar. Calm down. I'm going to find her."

Danny approached the two of them outside of the hotel. Knowing that they couldn't afford to waste another minute, Steve gave strict instructions to Mary again to "stay put" and be on the lookout for Chin and Kono to arrive. Then, he and Danny started towards the beach for signs of Carly.

"You don't think Brad is back do you?" asked Danny.

"I don't know. All I know is that he was trying to call Carly all day yesterday and she didn't answer the phone. When Mary finally picked up one of the calls last night, he said something about 'having his final say' with Carly one way or another. Sounded to me like he had something planned."

Steve saw a look pass over Danny's face before he quickly tried to disguise it, but it was too late; Steve had already seen it. "What?" he asked defensively.

"Nothing." replied Danny.

"Don't give me that, Danny. I'm not the only one with a 'look' and you definitely just had one. Spill it."

Danny sighed, "Well, I hate to piss you off, so just keep in mind that I'm only asking the obvious question. If Brad made a veiled threat to her last night, why did you let her come here by herself tonight?"

"I seriously considered coming with them, but Mary put me on a guilt trip." He noticed

'the look' on Danny's face again. "I know, I know….Trust me, I feel bad enough about this as it is so could we just _focus_ on finding her right now? She's already been gone for an hour or more."

Steve looked as scared as Danny had ever seen him besides the time Mary had been kidnapped, so he decided not to push his partner any further. "You're right. I'm sorry….Let's go."

As they reached the beach behind the hotel, they decided to head towards a series of sand dunes that lined a short section of the beach. They made their way towards the first dune listening for any sounds of activity. Finding nothing there, they continued on to the next. When they came within approximately fifteen feet of the third dune, they saw a man's head pop up. It was hard to tell in the dark from that distance whether or not it was Brad, so Steve motioned for Danny to back him up as they quietly approached. Getting closer, Steve heard muffled sobs he knew instinctively had to be Carly's. "No one ever leaves me, Carly. _No one._ You said I wasn't 'man enough' for you? Well, I proved you wrong tonight now, didn't I darlin'?" he sneered. Dread filled Steve's insides as he feared what those words may actually mean. _Had Brad raped her tonight? I swear to God, I__** will**__ kill him with my bare hands if he has! _

Brad continued, "Not only that, but you humiliated me to everyone in my precinct with your lies! I could lose my badge because of you!"

"I didn't lie….." she started to say.

"Shut up!" Brad screamed, "Not another word or I'll give you more!" Brad's voice turned calm and menacing as he added, "Do you want some more of me, darlin'?". Carly just continued to sob.

Steve was close enough now to see Carly lying on the sand. Her dress had been ripped, her underwear lay on the sand, and Brad was hovering over her in a position that left no doubt what he'd done to her. Steve felt his stomach turn with a mixture of anger and disgust to see Carly….his Carly….battered and assaulted in the sand. Even in the dark, he could see the blood on her beautiful face. Steve looked back at Danny and motioned for Danny to back him up. Just as Brad raised his fist to strike Carly again, he heard the low growl of the man behind him, "Touch her again and I will kill you."

Startled, Brad turned to find Steve standing a few feet away from him with his fists clenched ready to fight. He quickly grabbed a knife he had lying on the ground and stood up to face Steve. "What are you doing here, McGarrett? Like I told you before, this is between Carly and me."

"That's where you're wrong." Steve replied with more control than he thought possible given the circumstances.

Brad waved the knife menacingly at Steve, "You want to fight, pretty boy? Come on. I'm ready this time."

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not a good idea to bring a knife to a gun fight?" asked Steve.

"What are you talking about? Looks to me like I'm the only one with a weapon here, McGarrett."

"Think again." Steve said as he nodded towards Danny. Brad turned to see Danny standing with gun poised and ready to shoot.

"Put down the knife, Brad!" Danny ordered but Brad ignored his demand. Instead, he took a quick glance back at Steve before charging at him only to discover he was no match for Steve's skills in hand to hand combat. Steve quickly got the knife out of his hands and the two began throwing punches at each other. Brad was able to land a couple of good shots to Steve's face before Steve knocked him to the ground and landed on top of him. Steve straddled Brad as he continued to land punch after punch to Brad's face.

"Steve! Steve…. STOP!" yelled Danny as he tried to pull him off of Brad. "Stop it, man. You're going to kill him!" Finally, Steve seemed to come to his senses and pull himself out of his rage filled state only to realize Brad was motionless and unconscious.

"Steve, step away." Danny said just a little more calmly this time. "I'll handle him. You need to go to Carly."

_Carly._ Steve had been so lost in his fury that he'd momentarily forgotten about her. He quickly got up, wiped the blood trickling from his lip and ran over to her. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be in a semi-conscious state as well. He knelt to the ground and started to put his arms under her chest to lift her up until he saw her wince in pain. _Son of a bitch, what did he DO to her? _Rather than picking her up, he gently laid her back down and began to caress her face, "Carly, sweetheart. Can you hear me?" She stirred for just a moment and looked up at him with confusion, "Steve?"

Steve was pulling his cell phone out of his pocket to call for an ambulance as he answered her, "Yes, Carly. I'm here. Can you tell me where you hurt?"

"All over." Steve was reaching for his cell phone to call for paramedics when Chin appeared and told him help was on the way. Steve asked Chin to get a blanket from his truck and then returned his attention to Carly. Realizing that her clothes were destroyed and she was practically naked, sobs began to shake her body as she recalled what had just happened. "Steve, I'm so sorry."

Steve tried again to gently pick her up so he could hold her. "You have nothing to be sorry about."

"I should've known better than to leave that party. I knew something was up."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"When Mary talked to him last night, I had a feeling he was up to something. I should've never taken the chance that I did tonight. I guess I didn't want to believe he would be brazen enough to come right in and force me out."

They sat in silence for a few minutes while Steve held her and tried to calm down. The adrenaline rush he'd felt earlier was starting to dissipate and he was beginning to feel the pain in his knuckles from the beating he had given to Brad. No matter, though. Bruised and swollen knuckles were nothing compared to what he knew Carly had faced that night. It had been worth it for her and he would do it all again to get her away from that monster. There was a question on Steve's mind that he needed to ask even though he dreaded the answer. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I'm sorry to have to ask you this, but we need to know. Did Brad sexually assault you tonight?"

Steve looked down and saw the pain and horror written all over her face. Tears filled her eyes again as she turned away from him and gave an affirmative nod. Steve took his fingers to turn her chin towards him, "Look at me." he said gently. When she didn't immediately comply, he said it again, "Sweetie, look at me." Carly looked up at him and the pain he saw nearly took his breath away. He kissed her forehead and said, "You have _nothing_ to be ashamed of. Do you hear me? You didn't do anything wrong and that son of a bitch is going to pay for what he did to you. We're going to get through this. I promise."

Chin returned with Mary Ann who had a blanket they'd retrieved from Steve's truck. They quickly wrapped it around Carly's shivering body. Thankfully Chin had forewarned Mary of Carly's condition beforehand, but nothing could have adequately prepared her for the shock of seeing her friend in such a condition. Before she could ask Steve any questions, the paramedics arrived and began working to get Carly transported to the ambulance which was waiting outside the hotel. Carly grabbed Steve's hand as they started to lift her into the back of the ambulance. "Don't leave me." she pleaded with him. Steve looked at her softly and squeezed her hand in return, "Not a chance." he replied as he leaned down to kiss her softly. Steve kept hold of her hand as he climbed into the back of the ambulance and they made their way to the hospital. He knew it was going to be a long night but he resolved that he would do everything in his power to make sure this was the last confrontation Carly would ever have with Brad.


	13. Chapter 13

Steve did not wait well and patience was a virtue he just did not have. He paced, stopped to look at the clock, and paced some more. After a few seconds, he looked at the clock again as if willing it to move faster. All of the 5.0 team was at the hospital along with Mary as they waited for news on Carly. Chin and Kono talked quietly in one corner while Mary sat reading a magazine in another part of the room. Danny watched as Steve paced a hole in the floor and tried to think of a way to distract his partner if even for just a little while.

"Hey, man. Wanna grab a cup of coffee or something?" he asked already knowing what the answer would be.

Steve stopped to look at him as if he had been in a trance. Totally ignoring the question, he asked "How long is it going to be before we hear something? For God's sake, how long does it take? She's been back there forever and they haven't told us anything!" He was wound so tight, he looked as if he would explode.

Danny tried to tread softly, "I hate to break it to you, partner, but they've only been with her for about 20 minutes. It might be awhile before we hear anything."

"Unacceptable. I need to know something….Now." Steve started walking towards the nurses station.

Danny reached out an arm to stop him, "Woah. Woah, what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to get some answers. I want to know how she is….I want to see her. I NEED to see her."

Danny looked at him sympathetically. He knew exactly how he'd feel if someone he loved was in this situation, but he had to be the rational one here. "Look Steve, I know you want to see her, but can we please just let the doctors do their job? They said they'd let us know something as soon as they could. Hopefully it won't be much longer."

Steve knew Danny was right even though he was ready to knock down the walls that were separating him from Carly. So he did the only thing he could do: He started to pace again.

After what seemed like an eternity, a doctor walked into the waiting room and approached the anxious looking group.

"Commander McGarrett?", he asked.

Steve quickly stepped forward to shake the doctor's hand in introduction, "I'm Steve McGarrett. How is Carly? When can we see her?"

"Well, Carly's injuries were pretty extensive. The good news is she's going to be okay because none of them was too serious or caused any internal bleeding. She had some lacerations we had to stitch up, several broken ribs, and one of her ankles is badly sprained. Fortunately, no permanent damage occurred from the sexual assault, but it will most likely take her awhile to recover from that emotionally. "

Steve felt a knot in his stomach as he thought once again of the violence she'd suffered that night. "Can we see her?"

"Of course. We have her pretty heavily sedated so she will rest, but you can take turns seeing her now that we have her in a room. Just try not to get her too excited or anxious. We need her to rest for awhile. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to her."

Mary looked at her big brother and was touched by the concern she saw written on his face. Although she wanted to see Carly in the worst way, she knew Steve should be the first one to go back.

She gently nudged his arm, "What are you waiting on, bro? Go back and let us know how she is!"

Steve needed no further prompting. He gave Mary a grateful smile and followed the doctor down the hall to Carly's room.

He had seen many victims in the hospital after assaults, but nothing could have prepared him for how Carly looked lying in the hospital bed. One cheek was swollen and bruised, and there were stitches above her right eye. There was also a small area of stitches on one side of her mouth. The scars would be small, but they would still be a reminder of what had happened that night. That truth made the anger inside of Steve begin to swell again until Carly began to stir. It was very slow and almost unperceivable, but still, she stirred. He quickly moved to her and gently picked up one of her hands.

"Carly, sweetie….Can you hear me?"

She moved a little and a frown crossed her forehead as she winced in pain. She could only open her eyes a little. Her eyelids felt as if they had weights tied to them and she felt confused.

"Steve?"

"Yeah….Carly, I'm right here."

She started to move again but Steve stopped her. "Lay still, babe. The doctor said you need to rest and try not to move too much yet."

Her whole head felt numb as she reached up with her free hand. As she felt the stitches, she began to cry. Steve knew what she was thinking, so he immediately tried to ease her fears. He reached up to stroke the wound above her eye and said, "Don't worry, sweetie. Once it's healed, there won't be much of a scar. It probably feels a lot worse than it is because of the swelling right now."

Then she felt the cut above her mouth. "I'm going to look hideous." she whispered.

"Never." Steve knelt down to gently kiss her stitches as he replied. "As a matter of fact, I can guarantee you will still have the power to turn me to mush every time you look at me." Then, he lowered his voice as if telling her a secret, "Just don't tell anyone I told you that. I have a reputation, ya know."

She had to laugh even though it hurt a little to smile right now, 'What? The reputation of being a bad ass?"

He looked very serious but she saw the twinkle in his eye, "Of course as a bad ass! As commander of 5-0, I have a certain image to uphold. Anyone who knows I have a weakness could use that against me." Then, he smiled at her and her heart melted like it did every time he looked her way.

_I turn HIM to mush? , she thought. He has NO idea!_

She looked at him thoughtfully and said, "So I'm like kryptonite to Superman, huh?"

"Most definitely….but in a good way. Just don't let anyone else know that." he laughed. _Who am I fooling, he thought. Everyone already knows I'm head over heels. _

Then Steve saw her eyes darken again. "Where's Brad?" she asked.

"In jail….and I promise he is NEVER going to bother you again. Ever. He'd better be glad he is in custody right now because I wasn't really finished when they pulled me off of him and I would still love to get my hands on that son of a….."

"Steve." Carly stopped him. Steve took a deep breath and looked down at her again.

"Sorry." he picked up her hand and gently kissed her fingers, "I'm just glad you're okay."

Carly looked exhausted. "You need to get some sleep" Steve said. She thought about arguing since it would be rude to fall asleep when he was there, but she simply nodded her head, too tired to protest. Before falling asleep, she squeezed his hand and whispered, "Don't leave me." Steve stroked her forehead and kissed her again, "No worries, babe. I'll be here when you wake up." Then, he pulled a chair as close to the bed as possible and sat down to watch her sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Carly awoke several hours later just as the sun was starting to rise for another day. She quickly realized she was not alone as she felt protective arms around her and breathed in the familiar scent of soap, sand, and man: Steve. Had he really been there all night? Her brain still felt fuzzy, but she vaguely remembered what had happened the night before:

She and Mary had been having a fabulous time catching up with old schoolmates until she'd made the fateful decision to go to the ladies room by herself. Carly had seen the look of concern on Mary's face even as Carly had insisted that she was a "big girl" and was perfectly capable of navigating her way to the ladies room by herself. Now she was left to wonder, "What if..?" What if Mary had gone along? Her conscience seemed to scold her, _"Really, Carly. What woman goes to the ladies room by herself anyway? Isn't it a known fact that they must at least go in pairs?" _But no, she had chosen to go alone and now she was living with the horrible consequences of that seemingly simple decision. As soon as she had walked back out of the bathroom, she had seem him standing there. What had followed in those next horrible moments were too painful to think about right now, so she let her mind fast forward through it all. Until that moment. The moment when she heard Steve's voice and she new he had come to save her. _"Touch her again and I will kill you." she had heard him growl. _Was it any wonder he was a master at interrogation or striking the fear of God into even the most hardened criminals? Steve McGarrett was not someone to tangle with and you certainly didn't want to get on his bad side. If she hadn't known he was there to save her, she would've been cowering in fear herself at the amount of venom in his voice. Strangely at this moment, his voice calmed her because she knew he was here to save her from her own monster. She had lost consciousness momentarily so she didn't remember anything else that happened after that until she heard Steve's voice soften and felt him trying to lift her up,_ "Carly,sweetheart. Can you hear me?" _Not long after that, the paramedics arrived. Steve stayed by her side on the ride to the hospital and had been there every time she'd opened her eyes during the long night that followed.

As she awakened this morning, every bone in her body seemed to cry out in pain, but knowing Steve was there somehow made it more bearable. Feeling his arms around her, she realized he must've gotten into the hospital bed with her sometime during the night. She stirred a little and pain seared through her from head to toe. A small groan escaped her lips causing Steve to wake up. She felt his body tense as his arms around her tightened just a bit.

"Carly….you okay?" She heard the concern in his voice.

"I'm okay. Just forgot where I was for a moment. I feel like I've been run over by a bulldozer."

Steve kissed the top of her head. "Do you want me to get a nurse? You need some pain medicine?"

"No, I'm okay." Steve started to move away and she said, "Please don't get up. You're pretty good pain medicine as long as you stay right here." She sensed his smile and he gently pulled her a little closer.

Just then, a nurse came in to check on her and Steve realized there must have been a shift change since this was a different nurse from the one who had checked on Carly during the night. This nurse was a bit older and had the no nonsense attitude of someone who was in charge. Head nurse maybe, Steve wondered? She gave a disapproving glance towards the bed and said, "I'm sorry Commander McGarrett, but getting into bed with patients really isn't allowed."

Steve looked at her for a moment before saying quite matter of factly, "Well…..who's gonna tell?" Then he smiled at her. Yes, smiled. He gave her his best Steve McGarrett smile that was always so disarming.

Nurse No-Nonsense blinked, looked from Carly to Steve for a moment, and then smiled herself. Without saying another word, she began looking at Carly's chart and checking her vitals once again.

Carly could only stare at her in utter disbelief. _Are you kidding me?_ thought Carly. _Poor woman didn't stand a chance. There must not be a woman on the planet he couldn't charm if he set his mind to it, _Carly smiled to herself.

"The doctor may let you go home today, but we'll have to see what he thinks when he does his rounds in a little while." She smiled at them both. "I see you're from out of town….Do you have somewhere to stay?" she asked.

"She's staying with me." Steve said pointedly. The nurse noticed how he looked at Carly with such obvious affection in his eyes. Funny, she thought. She'd heard stories about the big, bad leader of the Five-0, and although she was sure he was a force to be reckoned with at times, she only saw love in his eyes for Carly. The chemistry between them was unmistakable and it had a calming effect on her patient which didn't go unnoticed. "Trust me, she won't be alone for a second." Steve added very protectively.

"Oh, I have no doubt of that." answered the nurse giving them both a knowing glance that actually made Carly blush even as she felt Steve smirking behind her.

"I'll be back in a moment with some pain medicine for you. You will probably feel pretty rough for the next few days, but it will help if you can try to walk around every now and then so you won't feel so stiff." She patted Carly on the arm and said, "You're one lucky lady and it's obvious you're in good hands." As she left the room, she called out behind her, "And no hanky panky in the room, Commander McGarrett. We DO draw the line somewhere."

Steve laughed out loud as the door closed behind her and Carly couldn't help but laugh as well. Then she instantly regretted it and grimaced in pain. She inhaled and exhaled slowly waiting for the piercing pain to stop.

"Okay, here's the deal. If I'm going to be under house arrest until I have recovered, please wait awhile before you make me laugh."

Steve sat up gently so he could face her with a mock look of hurt on his face. "House arrest? Is that what you think I'll do….Keep you cooped up inside with no means of escape?"

"Weeelll, handcuffs might be fun." She teased and then saw his eyes grow dark as if trying to imagine that little scenario. "But seriously, " she continued, "As much as I love to be with you, we're going to have to tone down the hilarity until I can laugh without it feeling like knives are piercing through my ribs."

Steve kissed her quickly on her sweet kissable mouth. "Mmmm, been wanting to do that for hours." he said. "Okay, I promise. No fun and game….or handcuffs… until the pain eases up a bit." He wiggled his eyebrows at her. Then as an after thought, he added, "And did you say I was hilarious? I can't wait to tell Danny. He insists that I have no sense of humor and never have any fun."

"Yes, well, I doubt Danny ever sees that side of you….What with you being the 'man in charge' and everything."

Steve looked at her thoughtfully, "Actually, not many people DO see that side of me. You seem to bring it out in me somehow. It's a little unnerving actually."

A little chuckle escaped her again followed by another grimace.

"Sorry", Steve smiled apologetically. "Didn't mean to do that again. Okay, from now on we're serious….No more joking."

Just then the nurse came in with Carly's medication. "This should help you quite a bit and the doctor will be in soon. He's doing his rounds and is on our floor now."

"There are a few others wanting to come in and visit.", Steve said. "Is it okay if they come back now that she's awake?"

"Who's here?" Carly asked.

"Mary and Kono are both in the waiting area. Danny and Chin were both here most of the night but went home this morning."

Carly felt a little embarrassed that they'd stayed all night, but also felt warm inside knowing that they'd all cared enough to be there.

"I suppose it's okay if they come back now." said the nurse. "I'll go get them for you." And with that, she left the room.

"I don't want anyone to see me like this, Steve."

"Babe, don't worry about it. Everyone was actually in last night because everyone wanted to see for themselves that you were okay."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Now don't worry about it."

Mary and Kono came into the room a couple of minutes later and Mary rushed over to her bed.

"Carly, oh my God, I was so worried about you!"

Carly sat up a little with Steve's help. "I'm okay, Mar. A little sore, but I'm okay."

"I am SO sorry I let you leave by yourself. I should have NEVER let you do that even when you told me you'd be okay."

"It's not your fault, Mary. Don't worry about it. Please. Let's just forget about it and think about the fun we'll have when I get out of here."

"Not too much fun, young lady. You're still going to have to take it easy for a while." Steve piped in.

Mary rolled her eyes at him, "Oh please. You can be such a kill joy!"

A couple of hours later, Carly had been released to Steve's care and they returned to the McGarrett house. Steve pulled his truck into the driveway and got out to help Carly out. She let out a little protest when Steve lifted her into his arms to carry her inside. " Steve, seriously. This is not necessary."

"I know." But I've promised the doctor, head nurse, Mary, your Mom and Dad, your sister, and nearly the entire female population of your graduating class that I would take care of you, so I'm carrying you in the damn house. No arguments". he said good naturedly. Then without missing a step, he kissed her as he carried her and opened the door to walk inside.

"Welcome home" he said. She felt an unfamiliar longing in her heart as he said the words and almost wished this WAS "home" for her. He seemed to realize what he had insinuated with that comment, so he said, "Well….'home' for the moment anyway."

He got her settled on the couch with pillows, pain pills, a drink, and the tv remote.


	15. Chapter 15

Carly called her boss and arranged medical leave from her job since she wasn't being released to return back to her job for a couple of weeks. She decided to stay in Hawaii to recover. Steve couldn't have been happier with her decision since he had no intentions of letting her get away again. He didn't quite understand what had happened in the short time since Carly had shown up on his doorstep, but somehow she had managed to get into his heart in a way no one else ever had. He wasn't expecting it, but he wasn't going to fight it either. He had every intention of talking her into making the stay in Hawaii a permanent thing.

That was the plan. The problem was that Carly had different plans. As she got stronger and started moving around more easily, she started talking about going back to Atlanta. One evening after dinner, the conversation turned serious.

"Steve, you can't honestly think I'm going to _stay _in Hawaii. Like permanently. " she protested.

"Why not?" Steve countered. "Give me one good reason you have to return to Atlanta?"

"Well, my _job_ for one. Plus, my friends, my church, the kids I work with. I have a _life_ there. We both knew this wasn't a permanent thing and I've already stayed a lot longer than I anticipated."

Steve wasn't buying it. "You can find a job _here_ and make a life _here_. And you _already_ have friends here. Plus, **I'm** here. Isn't that enough to stay?" He looked so hopeful that it made her heart twist a little as he smiled at her with that little sideways grin that made her insides turn flip flops.

"It's not that easy." Carly replied. It was the same reply she gave him every time they had discussed the issue.

The smile faded from his handsome face and was replaced by frustration. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "Then **make** it easy! I don't understand what you have to go back to, Carly."

Carly began to get frustrated herself, "Steve, please understand. I've built a life there. I can't just pack up and move on a whim every time I meet a guy who lives somewhere else!" As soon as the words left her mouth, she saw the hurt on his face. Guilt clutched at her heart.

"Oh, well, excuse me. I didn't realize I was just a 'whim'." Steve replied sarcastically before continuing,

"I'm sorry…..I guess I thought we had something, but maybe I was wrong." He turned to walk away but Carly reached out to stop him. She gently grabbed his arm as he turned back to face her.

"I'm sorry. You know that's not what I meant." she replied. "We _do_ have something. A pretty **amazing** 'something', in fact. I wasn't expecting this any more than you were. I definitely have feelings for you... Strong feelings. But please understand that I can't move my entire life until I know if this thing between us is going to turn serious or not." When Steve didn't reply, she took a deep breath and continued, "I need to return to Atlanta and get some things sorted out. Brad's court dates will be coming up soon and I need to be there for all of that. I can come back in a couple of months for a visit and we can see what happens. Okay?" She looked pleadingly at him, and as much as he hated to admit it, he knew she was right.

"I don't like the thought of you facing Brad in court alone. I could fly in and be with you when you have to go to court." he offered.

Carly smiled. _Sweet Steve_….._Always the Protector_, she thought to herself. She reached up to put a hand on his cheek, "I'll be fine. I need to do this. And I promise, I'll be back in a couple of months for a visit. In the meantime, we can talk on the phone and do video chats or whatever we need to keep in touch, okay?"

Steve pulled her to him and kissed her with a passion she had come to love. She knew she had his heart in her hands which overwhelmed her at times. Figuring out whether or not it was a "forever" thing is what scared her, though. If Steve broke her heart, she doubted she would ever recover from it.

They finally broke the kiss and he looked down at her, "I don't like the plan, but I understand why you have to go back. Just promise you won't be gone too long."

"I promise." she said as she kissed him again.

***********h50**********h50*************h50

TWO MONTHS LATER….

(Atlanta)

Carly's assistant, Amber, came into her office with an exasperated look on her face, "Carly, Steve McGarrett is on the line again. Says he's not hanging up until you talk to him. He's starting to sound frustrated. Can you please take his call? Please?"

Steve had been calling at regular intervals since Carly had told him a week ago that she had changed her plans to go back to Hawaii right now. As expected, he wasn't happy with the change of plans and had wanted to talk about it. Since returning to Atlanta, they had talked a couple of times every day and also did video chats every couple of days depending on Steve's schedule. Hearing his voice on the other end of the phone or seeing his face on video chats had become the best part of her day. As a result, Carly's feelings for Steve had grown to a much deeper level and she knew without a doubt she was in love with him.

_In love_. With Steve McGarrett. How could that have happened? The realization had scared her senseless because she knew that Steve had never stayed in a relationship with anyone very long. She was terrified of getting her heart broken, so she had changed her plans to see him again and simply told him she needed some time to think. He had protested and told her she wasn't making any sense, but she had insisted and ended the conversation on a bad note. After that, she broke off communication and stopped taking calls from him. A week had passed since then.

Steve was persistent, though. After the first couple of days of being ignored on her cell phone, he started trying to call Carly at work much to the dismay of her assistant who had been put in the middle of them both. Steve insisted that Amber put him through….and Carly insisted that she was too busy to talk.

"Please, Carly. Just talk to him. If everything you say about this guy is true, I do NOT want to get on his bad side. It doesn't sound like he's use to people telling him 'no' and I've been doing that for the last 4 days!"

Carly couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, you're right about that." She sighed heavily. "Tell him that I promise to call him tonight. I have a couple of things to finish up here and then I'm going home. I will call him when I get there."

Amber looked at her doubtfully. "Are you really going to call him or are you stalling again?"

Carly tried unsuccessfully to look innocent, "Would I do that?"

"Yes. Yes you would!" said Amber, "You, missy, are playing hard to get. But I'll tell him. You'd better call him tonight though. I'm putting my behind on the line by telling him you will!" She heard Carly chuckle as she left the room.

A few short minutes later, Amber came quickly back into Carly's office and shut the door. "Oh-my-gosh. Why didn't you tell me your Steve McGarrett was so friggin' gorgeous!? I mean, _**seriously**_, Carly…..You've been putting this guy off? _Why? How? _He's absolutely…."

Carly held up her hand tointerrupted her, "Hold on. What are you talking about?"

Amber paused long enough to catch a breath before continuing, "It seems your Super Seal was tired of being ignored. He is standing in the lobby."

Carly stood up in shock, 'What?! Steve is _here_? _Now_? "

Amber crossed her arms and smiled smugly, "Yep. He's _here._ He must've made that last call from his cell phone when he was already in our building. And by the looks of it, he's not leaving until you two talk this out."

Carly didn't know what to think. Steve was here? In Atlanta? Why?

Amber continued on, "Seriously, Carly, I don't know how you've had the strength to keep that man waiting. If I had a guy who looked like that and was obviously crazy about me, he would never leave my bed."

"Amber!" Carly tried to reprimand her, but couldn't help the smile that crossed her face as memories flooded her mind. Then she quickly composed herself again. "Okay…Okay…I've got this. Give me just a minute and I'll be out."

"A minute is ALL you get. If he starts to come in because you keep him waiting much longer, I will not try to stop him. Understand?"

Carly quickly pulled out a mirror to look at herself. Her plans to freshen up a little before facing Steve were interrupted though as her office door swung open and Steve strode inside. Carly immediately stood up behind her desk.

Amber's words came back to her mind, _"I don't know how you've had the strength to keep that man waiting. If I had a guy who looked like that and was obviously crazy about me, he would never leave my bed." _Seeing Steve before her looking serious and determined, Carly wondered how she'd had the strength to do so herself. He stood in front of her desk with his signature black cargo pants, boots, and a blue t-shirt that brought out the blue in his gorgeous eyes. She also caught a whiff of his cologne as he came in. It was all she could do not to drool. God, she had missed him.

Steve was the first to speak, "We need to talk. And since you won't take my calls, I decided we could do it face to face."

"So you flew all the way to Atlanta?" Carly managed to squeak out.

"Yes. I flew _all the way _to Atlanta. Get your stuff. We're leaving and going somewhere where we can be alone." He held out his hand to her ready to take her hand and leave.

Carly was strangely turned on a little by his demands, but she wasn't about to let him know it. "Excuse me, Steve. You can't just order me around." She stuck her chin up in determination.

Steve looked at her with a look of irritation, "Actually, after putting me off for several days with no explanations…_ at all…._ as to why the hell you did a 180 on me, I think I can. Now get your ass out the door before I throw you over my shoulder and carry you out myself!" Carly's eyes got big and Steve continued, " Since you wouldn't talk to me on the phone, I flew all the way here to find out what is going on in that head of yours. I'll be damned if you are going to shut me out, Carly. I'm _not _going to let that happen."

"Why not?"

Steve couldn't believe she'd asked such a question. "Are you serious?" he asked. Carly felt tears coming to her eyes, so she turned away from Steve to look out her office window. Steve came up behind her and turned her around forcing her to look at him. "WHY? Because I _love…. You_… Carly! Why else would I try to call you several times a day? Why else would I send flowers every week since you've been gone? Which….. I might add …..is something I have _never _done in my entire life….and is something that BOTH Mary and Danny have mercilessly teased me about." Carly had to smile at that. Steve continued as his voice softened," Why else would I fly all the way here just to talk to you?"

Carly was literally shocked to the point of not being able to move. Shocked at seeing Steve standing there and shocked to hear him say those words. _"Because I love you, Carly."_

She looked up at Steve with tears in her eyes, "You love me?" she whispered.

Steve let out a frustrated breath. "Isn't that what I've been saying for the last 5 minutes? YES….I love you, Carly." He kissed her again. "I-Love-You. Now can we please get out of here and go somewhere to talk?"

Suddenly, the last thing Carly wanted to do was _talk_. Steve had just flown from Hawaii to Atlanta to tell her that he loved her. Looking at him, she realized how much she had missed him.

She looked up and smiled shyly at her Seal, "Actually, can we do something besides talk? We can always talk later."

Catching her meaning, Steve's eyes darkened with a look of lust. "What do you have in mind?"

"Ummmm…maybe we could go to my place and order some take-out. I'd like to show you just how much I've missed you."

Steve pretended to think about her proposition. He leaned down to kiss her, and as the kiss grew more passionate, Carly felt Steve lift her up as she wrapped her legs around him. Happy to finally have her in his arms again, he broke the kiss. "That sounds like a plan." he smiled down at her. Then, as he leaned back on to her desk with her legs wrapped around him, he swatted her bottom making it sting a little, "BUT….we're still going to talk about this. Understand? I'm not going back to Hawaii without you."

Carly just smiled and kissed him again.


End file.
